STRATEGIC COUNTERTERRORISM, TERRORIST REHABILITATIONAND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: THE SINGAPORE EXPERIENCE
Sabariah Mohamed Hussin＊

I. BACKGROUND
Following the terrorist attacks in the United States (US) on 11 September 2001, the Internal Security
Department (ISD) in Singapore uncovered a local cell of the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), a group that aimed toestablish a Daulah Islamiyah (Islamic State) in Southeast Asia through violent means.1
The ISD through intelligence sharing and quick response, crippled and foiled at least six different plans to
attack foreign and local assets on Singapore soil. Unfortunately, JI was successful elsewhere in the region.
Some examples include the bombings of churches in Indonesian cities on Christmas Eve in 2000, the OctoberBali Bombings of 2002 and the Metro Manila bombings on Rizal Day in the Philippines.
After detaining more than 20 JI members between 2001 and 2002, the Singapore government was
confronted with a unique situation. Initial findings led to insights into government consciousness thatpsychologists alone may not be sufficient to understand the phenomena of violent extremism. Outcomes fromthe sessions and meetings with the detainees, the counsellors observed that all detainees had distorted
ideologies on Islam which encouraged simplistic thinking, fueled them towards anger and hatred, andpromoted the use of violence to achieve their aims. Their exclusivist paradigm contributed to theirradicalization.

II. MODES OF REHABILITATION
From the chart below, there are 7 modes of terrorist rehabilitation that are currently being employed bygovernments around the world. Empirical evidence has shown that some countries are developing different
facets of terrorist rehabilitation programmes, focusing on ideological, religious, educational, vocational, social,creative arts therapy, sports and recreation and psychological issues that cause violent extremism. The
varied rehabilitation modes are employed by governments and agencies around the world, depending on therecommendations, availability of resources and acceptance by the implementing bodies.

Sabariah Mohamed Hussin is a Research Analyst at the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research at
the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) in Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore. She is amember of the Secretariat of the Religious Rehabilitation Group responsible for rehabilitating detained terrorists andradicalized individuals and their families through counselling. RRG counters misinterpretations promoted by self-radicalized
individuals and those in support of IS or other terrorist organizations. At MENDAKI, the Council for the development of the
Malay/Muslims community in Singapore, she developed and implemented intervention programmes for community
developments previously. She works extensively with partners and stakeholders to empower the community throughexcellence in education and self-development initiatives.
1
HistorySG, “Operations against Jemaah Islamiyah Begins”, 8 Dec 2001, assessed on 10 August 2017, http://eresources.nlb.gov.
sg/history/events/90267935-71ef-4829-8faf-f6039a086cda＊

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The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), for example, has a comprehensive rehabilitation approach consistingof religious, psychological, social, vocational, creative art therapy, as well as ʻOnline Engagementʼ as part oftheir rehabilitation initiatives. In the area of religious rehabilitation, the Ulamaʼ (religious scholars) perform
group counselling and discuss the legitimacy of the king as the ruler of Saudi Arabia. They conduct
comprehensive discussions on the position of a fatwa (Islamic rulings and guidance) vis-à-vis their leaders.
The KSAʼs psychological component employs psychologists to engage detainees and to further examine therationale behind these detaineesʼ decisions to use extremism. In their social rehabilitation programme, family
members are engaged in incentives like supporting the detaineeʼs marriage, education, or financial assistance.
The KSAʼs vocational rehabilitation gives the detainees opportunities to learn carpentry, clay shaping,pottery and the like. In addition, they make use of art through drawings, guided by professional art therapists
in their art rehabilitation. A distinct feature of the rehabilitation of KSA is their ʻOnline Engagementʼ. The
Sakinah campaign, run under the auspices of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, is a government agency andindependent programme where qualified scholars are hired to enter online chat rooms to hold discussions
with users on Islam, wherein, for example, they discuss the dangers of the takfiri (apostasy) ideas.
Evidently from our experience, religious intervention is a pivotal component that must be a part ofterrorist rehabilitation programmes. In Singapore, Religious rehabilitation had played a key role in educating
detainees, as mentioned by our Deputy Prime Minister in 2005. The government had sought expertise fromreligious experts as they believed that these initiatives should be carried out by subject matter experts.
Different states have different concerns and considerations, which thus decide which mode suits theirdetainees best. In my view, the modes of rehabilitation can be divided into two prongs. The corerehabilitation approach must include psychological, religious and social approaches. For the other, states may
decide to provide an enhanced rehabilitation programme that includes other skills where suitable.
Another country worth mentioning is Sri Lanka. They had worked closely with the private sector as anenabler to terrorist rehabilitation in South Asia. Sri Lanka is in a unique position to be able to work closelywith the private sector. It is a multi-faceted programme. They have rehabilitated and reintegrated 12,000
fighters. These detainees studied and transformed into productive citizens. You know it is a success when
the rehabilitation produced men and women with a fresh outlook.

III. THE SINGAPORE EXPERIENCEThe Singapore rehabilitation programme consists of three components: psychological rehabilitation, social
rehabilitation and religious rehabilitation. Throughout their detention, detainees are visited regularly bypsychologists, who provide psychological counselling and assess their ability to cope with the mental stress ofdetention as well as their psychological reasoning to establish their propensity for hatred and violence, andvulnerability to radical influence. The psychologists also assess behavioural and cognitive aspects of thedetaineesʼ progress in rehabilitation.

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A. Psychological Rehabilitation2
Studies (e.g. Prochaska, Velicer, DiClemente & Fava, 1988; Prochaska, DiClemente & Norcross, 1992) havefound commonalities in the manner people modify their behaviour. They showed that it was necessary toassess the clientʼs level of readiness for change and to customise interventions accordingly. Thus, throughinterviews with detainees and RO supervisees, ISD psychologists have identified seven positive changes inassessing detaineesʼ level of readiness for change3 that take place in the course of rehabilitation.
The stages are illustrated with reference from anecdotal evidence derived from former detainees and RO
supervisees who have been through the ISD rehabilitation programme.
1. Self-Re-Evaluation
Self-re-evaluation is the cognitive and affective process of re-appraisal of oneʼs self and his behaviour(Prochaska et al., 1988). During the initial period of detention, detainees begin to reflect on their past actions
and their consequences. According to M, an ex-member of Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) who had received militarytraining in Afghanistan, “When the detention order was served to me, I accepted the danger that I had posed
to national security” (Hussain, 2012). This detainee felt guilty and remorseful for all that he had done and feltthat the move by the JI members to create chaos in Singapore had tarnished the good name of the Muslim
community here. “We had not been fair. Because of the actions of a minority, the majority Muslim community
had to bear the brunt. I am guilt-ridden,” he said (Ibrahim, 2007).
By not being defensive about their past actions, detainees are able to appreciate the process of self-reevaluation in their reflections.
2. Environmental Re-Evaluation
A re-evaluation of their environment occurs when radicalised individuals re-assess the impact that hisradical beliefs and actions have on the social environment (Day, Bryan, Davey & Casey, 2006). When in
detention, they realize the consequences of the impact of detention on their families. They also gain insight
into the consequences of their action on the wider Singapore society. In addition, being detained means thatthese radicalised individuals are removed from the online or offline radical community, which provides thespace needed for them to reflect and re-evaluate their previous radical beliefs.
Religious counsellors also help the detainees to realise that the radical ideology propagated by radical
preachers has deliberately ignored the importance of ʻcontextʼ. They learn that contextualisation has to be
applied in the interpretation of Quranic verses. Through these religious counselling sessions, detainees
eventually realise that radical Islamic scholars, who supported armed jihad, misinterpreted Islamic religious
texts and their ideas promoting hate and violence are in fact in contradiction with the religion.
Hu Weiying, “The Process of Change in the Rehabilitation of Violent Extremist- The Singapore Experience” paper resides
with ICPVTR, 2017.
3
Home Team Journal, Ministry of Home Affairs Singapore
Studies (E.g. Prochaska, Velicer, DiClemente & Fava, 1988; Prochaska, DiClemente & Norcross, 1992)
2

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3. Formation of Therapeutic Relationships
Through their care and concern for the detainees and their families, the case officers and counsellors
develop a close rapport and therapeutic relationship with the detainees. This helps detainees to develop
confidence that the help and advice rendered are well-intentioned and will benefit them and their families.
The therapeutic relationship aids detainees to be more receptive to the alternative ideas presented to them.
It also provides a safe environment for them to share openly and encourages them to change. Former JI
member M said: “Throughout (my) detention, I was treated well, and given encouragement and guidance
when required. This on its own was an encouraging factor” (Hussain, 2012). As time passes, a trusting
relationship is developed between the detainee and his case officers. This leads to the detainee becoming
more cooperative with investigations and rehabilitation efforts.
4. Awareness of Radicalisation Pathway
Upon reflection and self-re-evaluation, detainees learn to be more cognizant of their radicalization
pathway. Moreover, through interactions with case officers, psychologists and religious counsellors, they
become aware of the factors and processes leading to their radicalisation.
Former JI member recollected that he was impressed by the religious knowledge and apparent piety
from the white robe of their leader. He recounted the seemingly innocuous beginnings where the leader
suggested that he attend a class conducted by another preacher. He shared that he did not question the JI
spiritual leader because of his trust in his friend. Ex-JI member M added that soon, he and several others
went for an intensive course, which stressed the need to start a struggle to establish an Islamic state. He
explained: “The preachers told us that the establishment of an Islamic state must be pursued by waging jihad.
According to the JIʼs terminology, this meant the use of armed force to take over control of the state.... I
accepted their explanations because they were charismatic and very convincing. The way they presented
themselves gave the impression that they were sincere and wanted only the best for Islam” (Hussain, 2012).
Recognising their path of radicalisation helps detainees to understand their actions and to avoid making thesame mistakes in future.
5. Ideological Rectification
Upon reflection and engagements with the case officers and counsellors, detainees recognize that theideas they have been exposed to and subsequently imbibed through books, the Internet, and from terrorist
personalities, are not mainstream. They have been led to believe that hate and violence were what Islam
required of its adherents. Through counselling by religious counsellors and reading mainstream literature
promoting peace and non-violence, detainees undergoe the processes of change that help keep theminoculated against terrorist ideas. The RRG counsellors helped the detainees see that the ideologies presented
actually cause harm to the society, and it is a challenge to develop oneself and oneʼs society.
The detainees start to realise that terrorists have been misinterpreting Islam and that hate and violence
is not propagated by the religion. They also learn to identify inconsistencies between these values and how
they behaved in the past (Robinson & Porporino, 2001). The work of the RRG counsellors is crucial in helping
detainees achieve this change. Many detainees continue to see their religious counsellors after release and arealso encouraged to seek guidance from their local mosques.
6. Cognitive Restructuring
Radicalised individuals have a distorted sense of reality and a tendency to focus solely on information
which confirms their biases while disregarding alternative views. Through counselling, these cognitive
distortions are restructured and detainees start to develop the cognitive tools that help prevent themselvesfrom falling prey to aberrant influences again (Robinson & Porporino, 2001).
An example of cognitive restructuring can be seen when the detainees gradually learn from thepsychologists how to manage emotion and develop the capacity to objectively frame global events. Detainees
also learn personal problem-solving skills, to evaluate ideas critically and to be more open-minded.
Through counselling, detainees learn: (i) that their actions carry consequences for others, (ii) how toevaluate ideas objectively and consider a variety of sources of information in the process of decision-making,and (iii) to become less rigid and narrow in their thinking and less prone to externalise blame.

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7. Individual Commitment
Towards the end of the change process, detainees are led to the stage where they make a choice about
their future path (Prochaska & DiClemente. 1982). When the detaineesʼ beliefs have been restructured, they
are guided to commit themselves not to be re-involved in terrorist activity. They make resolutions,
testimonies, and post-release plans to show their determination to fulfil what they have committed
themselves to. Before a detainee is released, they are encouraged to share their reflections of their detention,
including their regrets, and resolutions and plans for the future.
With their commitment not to be re-involved in terrorist activities, detainees are more likely to focus on
constructive activities to rebuild their lives and reintegrate into the community. Nonetheless, as with all
terrorist rehabilitation programmes, the notion of relapse is a possibility. This underscores the criticality of arigorous post-release programme to ensure that detainees do not re-engage in terrorist activity after theirrelease.

The distinct feature observed thus far is that people modify their behaviour. It is then necessary to assess
the level of each detaineesʼ readiness for change and to customise interventions accordingly. These were seen
in individuals detained by ISD for involvement with groups ̶ disengage from radical ideologies ̶renouncing the use of violence. The above has no fixed pattern. Each could develop in different directions fordifferent individuals. In some cases, the stages feed off one another in a mutually reinforcing way. In otherwords, they strengthen one another as they interact.
B. Religious Rehabilitation

The Religious Rehabilitation Group (RRG) is a group of volunteers mainly from the Asatizah (religious
clerics) fraternity and teachers in Singapore. Members of RRG contribute their services based on theirpersonal capacity and their areas of expertise.

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Detainees were exposed to verses and most of the time, part of the verse and not the entirety of the holy
Quran. There are two components for Muslims to be aware of in order to practice Islam fully. One is to beable to read the holy book and secondly to understand the Islamic sciences (asbab ul nuzul (reason ofrevelation), Nashikh Wal Mansukh (the abrogation)) and related issues. Having this knowledge would thengive the Muslim a complete understanding of the verses in applying them to the daily life.
The approach that the RRG counsellors have been undertaken through the detaineesʼ thoughts with thefollowing objectives:
1) To extricate their negatively imbibed ideology 2) To replace the negative ideology with the correct
ideology 3) To imbue in them the rightful understanding of Islamic knowledge and finally and 4) To
exemplify the fulfilling ways of living in a multi-racial, multi-religious society as shown by our beloved
Prophet Muhammad saw.
In order to ensure consistent messaging given by the counsellors to the detainees, RRG had produced
three manuals to date. The manual serves as an important tool and guide for our religious counsellors to
conduct structured counselling sessions. The manual is divided into three themes ‒ Understanding Realities,
Purely Concepts and Exploring Behaviors.
All the Asatizah involved in counselling the detainees are certified and have been endorsed by the Islamic
Religious Council under the Asatizah recognition Scheme in Singapore. The scheme, which endorses qualified
religious teachers in Singapore, was made compulsory this year in a move to ensure the community knows
whom to turn to for credible religious advice. A register of these teachers is available at www.ars.sg
C. Social Rehabilitation
Social rehabilitation in the form of social support is also given to enable the detainees to reintegratesmoothly into society upon release. The family also plays a significant role in this regard. Detainees are
granted family visits to preserve the family unit as much as possible. An aftercare officer is assigned to eachdetaineeʼs family to provide social and financial support for the detainees. The support provided by the ACG
ensures that the family remains functional. Detainees can then focus on cooperating with the investigation
and rehabilitation. Regular interactions with ISD case officers also provide the detainees with another sourceof social affiliation and support. Regular assessment, monitoring and guidance by the case officers are also
conducted. Efforts are also undertaken to help detainees improve their academic and other vocational skills.
This is to help the detainees find employment upon release.
To facilitate the reintegration process of the detainees released under restriction orders (RO) throughcareer preparation and job matching exercise. This is where the detainee will be matched with relevant jobs
according to their skills. The employers are fully aware of the situation of the candidate. Here we see a
tripartite partnership undertaken by MHA, MOM and MOE.
In implementing terrorist rehabilitation, we have identified challenges. For example, some governments
may not be willing to invest in a soft approach and may prefer the kinetic approach as religion is seen as a
private affair.
In some countries, the involvement in religion should remain in the private sphere. Itʼs a fallacy to look at
the programme as one that strictly focuses on religion. While counsellors do teach about Islam, theprogramme is really about de-radicalization, and you cannot pull someone away from extremism unless you
touch on all the reasons that have driven a person to engage in violence.
There is no way we can guarantee that rehabilitation is a full proof process. But to measure, for instancewe could look into recidivism in Singapore. Since 2002, of 83 people detained under ISA for terrorism related
activities, 62 were then released. To date there have been reported only two cases of recidivism and this is avery low figure.

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IV. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT INITIATIVES
A. Objectives

Raise
awareness tocommunity on
dangers ofradical/extremeideologies

Highlight
importance ofthe need tocounter theseideologies

Prevent
ideology from
infecng
community

Encourage
collaborative
efforts tocounter
extremeideologies

While there have been many initiatives, designed and implemented in Singapore for corrective purposes,
since 2002, Singapore has been active in getting the participation of the public to build community resilience.
As a society, Singapore has always emphasised the need to build trust between communities and decades ofwork have gone into developing such relations. The Inter-Racial Confidence Circles (IRCCs), set up in 2002,
helped entrench these efforts, as did the Community Engagement Programme, launched in 2006, with thelatter now receiving an important refresh through the SGSecure movement.
SGSecure is our communityʼs response to the terror threat. It is a national movement to sensitise, train
and mobilise the community to play a part to prevent and deal with a terrorist attack. It is a call to action foreveryone to unite and safeguard our way of life. The intent of terrorists is to inject fear and weaken thepsychological resilience and social fabric of our society. This is why the cornerstone of our counter-terrorism
strategy must be the strengthening of community vigilance, cohesion and resilience. We can all do our part tokeep Singapore safe and secure.
The message that Islam is a peaceful religion needs to be amplified. The table below shows the messages
that RRG, ICPVTR and other bodies are communicating with the members of the public.

B. In Community Engagement
RRG has made several efforts through establishing an Intellectual Partnership with Academicians,
Institutions (RSIS) building Social Networking with Government Agencies, NGOs, and Multi Religious
Organizations & Grassroots, thus promoting Community-based Learning by having Dialogue Sessions or
Closed-Door Discussions, Forums and talks.

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The RRG helpline was launched in June 2015. This is a toll-free helpline as part of RRG effort to provide
outreach services to the community at large. The public can use the helpline to clarify religious concepts or
seek help if they are unsure or wanting to help someone they know who might need help. The RRG App
launched in June 2016, allows members of the public to chat with counsellors on issues related to ideologies or
terrorism-related matters. This App allows booking of the RRG resource and counselling centre for visits.

Besides the helpline and Apps, we produced publications. This is intended to provide the public withinformation to clarify doubts on terrorism-related events or issues currently in public debate.
The Islamic Religious Council (MUIS) of Singaporeʼs efforts to counter extremism and exclusivism include:
1) Pre-sermon on Fridays before the mandatory Friday prayers for men 2) certification programmes forgraduates returning from Islamic Institutions abroad and 3) Mandatory Asatizah Recognition Scheme (ARS).
Topics covered in the Friday pre-sermons, range from the fallacy of ISISʼ so-called Islamic caliphate, to theneed to avoid literal interpretation of religious texts ̶ an approach that is prevalent among extremists ̶and the concept of moderation in Islam. MUIS has also worked with the RRG on themes such as the34

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importance of staying vigilant, and building resilience against extremist and exclusivist ideologies.
Certification programmes for graduates returning from overseas Islamic institutions feature automatic
enrolment into the programme, which aims to familiarise them with how Islam should be practiced in
Singaporeʼs context. A 10-day pilot was run last year, and a second run is due in 2017. It is being adapted intoa certification course, which has been made a compulsory requirement in the Asatizah Recognition Scheme.
This was launched in early 2017. The scheme, which endorses qualified religious teachers in Singapore, moveto ensure the community knows whom to turn to for credible religious advice.
In conclusion, the soft approach in countering terrorism must be positioned strategically. Governments
must introduce both preventive and corrective measures in addressing violent extremism. The challenge
today is to ensure terrorists are rehabilitated in the best possible way. This is imperative because if notrehabilitated, these terrorists when released will pose security threats, become terrorist iconography andinfluence the rest of their family members or the larger community.

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