Amid wider array of extremist ideas targeting Singapore youths, DPM Wong calls for greater efforts to counter online radicalisation

SINGAPORE, June 22 — Helping radicalised youth return to the fold will become more challenging as there is an increasing array of extremist thoughts that are easily accessible online, ranging from Islamist extremism to far-right, anti-Semitic and Neo-Nazi ideas.

That is why Singapore has to raise its game to counter radical ideologies on social media and rehabilitate young people who have been detained for radicalism, Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said yesterday.

To that end, he said he was glad that the Religious Rehabilitation Group (RRG), an organisation that assists in the religious rehabilitation and counselling of radicalised and self-radicalised individuals, is officially launching a TikTok account on Wednesday.

“I know from personal experience that it is not easy to put together content on social media that is appealing to young people. It is very challenging,” he said in a speech at RRG’s annual retreat at Shangri-La Rasa Sentosa Resort.

“Sometimes you try and you do not get a lot of eyeballs, and you have to try something else; it is a bit of a hit-and-miss... But through these social media platforms, I hope all of us can develop more effective ways to engage young people, to correct misinterpretations and promote a better understanding of religious texts and concepts appropriate to Singapore’s secular society.”

Wong noted that there is a concerning trend of more youth becoming radicalised. Before 2015, there was only one case of youth radicalisation in Singapore but since 2015, there have already been 11 such cases.

Apart from traditional social media channels, extremist groups have also exploited online music streaming and gaming platforms popular with youth, he added.

What can be done?

Since it would not be possible to “completely insulate” Singaporeans from everything online, the key is to inoculate them against extremist ideologies, Wong said.

With more youth being targeted online, one such move is to engage them more on social media platforms, such as with RRG’s new TikTok account, to help correct misinterpretations and promote understanding of religious texts and concepts.

Rehabilitation methods also need to evolve with the increasing array of extremist ideologies, he added.

“We must better understand why some youths are attracted to these ideologies, and work with their families to help them reclaim their lives.”

Speaking to TODAY, members of RRG who were present at the retreat agreed with Wong that one of the biggest challenges it faces now is to ensure that young people do not fall prey to radicalisation, given the proliferation of extremist content online.

Ustaz Dr Mohamed Ali, co-chairman of RRG, noted that TikTok is used widely by young people and RRG has to keep up with the times.

The group plans to promote messages of peace and moderation through its new platform and counter extremist narratives, he said.

Although the TikTok account was officially launched on Wednesday, its first post was on June 7 and there have been several posts in the past few weeks.

These included videos on the signs of radicalisation, what “Jihad” means and the dangers of online radicalisation. Most of these short videos are narrated in Malay by religious counsellors or young people, with English subtitles.

Ustazah Kalthom Isa, who is an RRG member, said that TikTok videos alone will not solve the problem of extremist content and ideas spreading among youth, but these posts will act as a window to the resources available at RRG.

She said: “TikTok cannot provide everything... but this will link youths to our website, and help them with choosing RRG’s religious scholars where they can seek guidance and any advice.

“Because youngsters don’t want to read (a lot) but they just want to have a very quick answer, so this is the way that we can introduce ourselves to them.”

For RRG’s TikTok messaging to be successful, experts said that there needs to be collaboration between the organisation and TikTok itself.

Jasminder Singh, a senior analyst, said that social media algorithms could mean that the messages of peace that RRG hopes to spread may not reach the young who search for extremist and violent content.

“When it comes to the algorithms, the responsibility will lie on the tech companies who run these applications,” he said.

Singh is with the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research, part of the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies at the Nanyang Technological University

He added that on RRG’s side, it should look into social media strategies, such as properly hashtagging its posts, to ensure that radicalised youth who search key terms online will come across RRG’s TikTok account.

“It’s all about the collaboration between the RRG and the tech companies, coming to know what should be the hashtags... and to know who is your audience.”

He also said that not only should RRG embark on this initiative, but all groups representing different faiths should address this problem of extremism, given its many forms.

“RRG’s focus is just on Islamic terrorism, and Singapore has seen far-right extremism as well.”

Whichever group, regardless of the religion, should be on the lookout for extremist ideologies in their circles, Mr Singh added.

“People here come from all walks of life, we have to be prepared.” — TODAY