Story reported on the 23rd of September, 2019 by various local news media
On the 23rd of September, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) released a statement detailing that three Indonesian domestic workers had been issued detention orders under the Internal Security Act (ISA). The ISA is a statute which grants the executive power to enforce preventive detention, prevention of subversion, and other actions deemed necessary to the internal security of Singapore. The three workers are being investigated for financing terrorism.
The three detained workers are Afiyantari, Hernayani, and Turmini. All three had been working in Singapore for between 6 to 13 years and are the first foreign domestic workers to be issued detention orders. A fourth domestic worker was also investigated as she had allegedly been aware of the activities of three workers. While she was not detained as she had been free from radicalisation charges, her omission of not reporting the activities of the three workers had warranted her swift deportation to Indonesia.
According to the MHA’s statement, the three workers had been radicalised after consuming online materials related to the terrorist group Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). After being radicalised, they had allegedly been found to have sourced for support for the ISIS online, taking part in activities such as donating to pro-ISIS entities in foreign countries and getting involved in online Pro-ISIS networks.
The Spokesperson added:
None were found to have had plans to carry out acts of violence in Singapore, but their radicalisation and association with terrorists overseas had rendered them a security threat to Singapore
While recognising the MHA’s jurisdiction in such matters, TWC2 hopes for the well-being of the three detained workers and an amicable resolution to this incident. The MHA’s official statement can be found here