[300+ comments] Singaporeans are getting complacent about risk of extremism

For 20+ years the Singapore Malay/Muslim community is successful in countering extremist ideology. Measures include licensing/regulation for asatizahs (teachers of Islam) + sermons/material to clarify misconceptions + religious counselling for radicalised Muslim Singaporeans + looking out for those at risk. That is why Singapore not yet kena terrorist attack compared to the communist threat in 1960s.

I think this success made Singaporeans complacent about extremist ideology which can also come from other groups:

• Many Christians in Singapore kena influenced by Trump like ideology (like the Indian boy who plan to attack mosques).

• Many traditional Chinese in Singapore kena brainwashed by China propaganda.

• Some liberal Singaporeans (usually with more economic privilege) are becoming more radical and polarising.

• Some Malay/Muslim Singaporeans are getting tired of community efforts to counter extremist ideology. More are feeling alienated from wider Singapore society.

There are many possible factors for the slight increase in extremist ideology in Singapore:

• Impact of pandemic on Singapore society + social cohesion. For example, increase in racism against Chinese in 2020 then Indians during Delta. Many elderly forced to rely on digital media despite limited technical skills + limited media literacy (easily misled by fake news).

• Impact of pandemic + inflation (also housing crisis) pushed many poor families to breaking point. To see rich Westernised Singaporeans enjoying life + elitism rubs salt into the wounds.

• Extremist recruiters/influencers become smarter to use same psychology tricks as scammers + take advantage of existing fault lines in our society (like language barriers) + target most vulnerable.

• Extremism from any group adds to mistrust/insecurity in other groups which can add to extremism in other groups leading to a vicious cycle/multiplier effect (not sure of correct term).

Only a small percentage of Singaporeans believe in extremist ideology and among them only a small percentage will resort to violence. But if the above trends multiply the small percentage by 3 (example number) that can be the difference leading to hate crimes/first successful terrorist attack.

True stories of two people I know who are affected by extremist ideology (details vague to protect identities):

• A close friend from secondary school + his family are traditional Chinese but when they invite me to their place they serve halal food + his parents (Chinese educated with limited English) talk to me in Malay. During Covid his parents start to use Chinese social media a lot for news/music/movies + buy cheap stuff. His mother passed away due to Covid. While he + family are greiving (so burning more but still try to be responsible) kena conflict with another Chinese family over their burning. Then got financial/legal stuff to settle (like insurance/will) but the father don't know how (all in English) and tried to get help on Chinese social media. The father read a lot of China propaganda then kena brainwashed. He keeps telling his children he would support China to attack Singapore to kill all the jiak kantang Singaporeans who want to destroy Chinese culture + keep traditional Chinese Singaporeans in poverty. Even asked my friend to shoot jiak kantang Singaporeans during NS. Friend/siblings don't want to report him because he was a great father for many years + they scared they kena starved if he kena arrested.

• A cousin (we grew up together) with special needs who is intelligent but naive + quiet. Pandemic dashed his family's (and mine) hopes of escaping poverty (his therapy also kena disrupted). He recently completed mainstream education (kena bullied a lot) but struggling to find job due to poor economy + racial discrimination + special needs challenges. He spends most of the time on the computer. Few months ago he shared in family Whatsapp group screenshots of LGBT supporters here insulting people who oppose LGBT rights as r-slurred + comparing them to ISIS. When I found out he surfs a lot of extremist material I told his mother but she said better not report. She thinks with his condition he is not able to carry out any attack + police will not be able to handle him properly. She will try to find an asatizah familiar with special needs to talk to him but is not high priority compared to day to day economic survival.

Hope we can take the threat seriously + have a rationale discussion about how to counter extremist ideology.