February 17, 2025
SINGAPORE – Far-right extremism is no longer a distant threat.
Recent cases show that such ideologies are gaining a foothold in Singapore, mirroring a troubling global trend, and the authorities have warned that this threat is likely to persist.
The internet and social media, while beneficial, have become a communications and mobilisation tool for far-right radicalisation, and experts tell The Straits Times that tackling this requires a collective effort from parents and the wider community.
Far-right extremism is often driven by ultra-nationalist, racist or anti-immigrant beliefs, with people believing in them seeing violence as a means to advance their agendas.
Details of the latest case about an 18-year-old student who was detained in December 2024 were released by the Internal Security Department (ISD) on Feb 10.
After being influenced by far-right extremism online, Nick Lee Xing Qiu started to role-play as Australian white supremacist Brenton Tarrant in a violent online simulation game where he pretended to kill Muslims in a mosque.
Tarrant killed 51 people in two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, in March 2019.
Investigations revealed that Lee grew hostile towards Muslims in early 2023 after seeing Islamophobic and far-right extremist content on social media.
Responding to questions from The Straits Times on Feb 13, ISD said that Lee was detected following online posts he himself made which were anti-Islam and supportive of violent far-right extremism.
“Separately, a member of the public had reported Lee’s online posts to ISD,” it added.
Global trend
Lee is the third Singaporean radicalised by far-right extremist ideologies to be dealt with under the Internal Security Act (ISA).
In December 2020, a 16-year-old Singaporean boy was detained under the ISA after plotting terrorist attacks on two mosques here.
In January 2024, a Secondary 4 student who identified as a white supremacist and was radicalised by far-right propaganda received a restriction order for planning attacks overseas.
The authorities say both detention cases were also influenced by Tarrant.
Right-wing extremism has gained greater prominence in recent years, said Mr Kalicharan Veera Singam, a senior analyst at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS). He added that it is likely to continue inspiring and radicalising individuals, thus increasing the potential for violence.
In a February 2024 report, US-based think-tank Centre for Strategic and International Studies noted that violent far-right extremist ideologies had become more prominent globally, with such extremism posing the most pressing terrorism threat in the US, Canada and Europe.
A paper by Mr Kalicharan published on the RSIS website also said that far-right extremist violence persisted in the West in 2024, with neo-Nazi and white supremacist groups like the Proud Boys and Atomwaffen Division in the US, as well as the Nordic Resistance Movement in Sweden, targeting Jewish, Muslim and migrant communities.
“Unlike religiously motivated extremism, right-wing extremism is harder to pinpoint and define as its proponents are not driven by a common doctrine or even goals,” he said.
Both he and his RSIS colleague, Mr Kenneth Yeo, an associate research fellow, believe that more of such cases will surface in Singapore. “With our high social media penetration rate and unrestricted access to foreign content, we should expect Singaporeans to be exposed to radical content,” said Mr Yeo.
What will be concerning is when the rise of far-right extremism in Singapore begins to polarise society, and affect the nation’s peace and harmony, said Mr Benjamin Mok, also an associate research fellow at RSIS.
He added: “We cannot afford complacency – far-right extremism is a growing issue abroad, and we need to stay vigilant to ensure it doesn’t take deeper root here.”
Youth and their susceptibility
All three people in the far-right extremism cases detected here have been under 20, which experts say reflects how age is indeed a key contributing factor in such cases.
The “revolutionary” nature of such radical ideology makes them attractive to young people, said Dr Kristy Campion, a senior lecturer and discipline lead of terrorism studies at Charles Sturt University in Australia.
“They may find the ideology empowering, as right-wing extremism typically pitches a heroic insider against dangerous outsiders, such as ethnic or religious minorities,” she said.
“The sense of community they gain from engaging with the extreme right, moreover, may fulfil unmet needs in their lives.”
Young people crave a sense of belonging, purpose and adventure which online radical communities, including those in the far right, may exploit, noted Mr Yeo.
“Adolescents have not fully developed their cognitive faculties, and are less able to regulate their emotions and impulses,” he said, adding that this makes them susceptible to joining anti-social groups like gangs and terrorist networks.
In its investigations into the three young people influenced by far-right extremist ideologies, ISD said it found that the internet and social media platforms had played a significant role in their indoctrination.
Those young people often spent several hours a day on the internet, unsupervised, and over time, became radicalised by the extremist materials they had come across online, said ISD.
Parents’ supervision of their children’s online activities – especially if the child displays or expresses extremist sentiments – can help identify such cases, stressed RSIS’ Mr Kalicharan.
These can include using specific jargon or memes that are associated with extremist groups, as well as voicing support for so-called conspiracy theories.
“Youth should reach out to their parents and teachers if they encounter problematic content online to receive the necessary guidance,” he added.
ISD recommended that parents take an interest in the content of the video games that their children are playing, and look out for symbols and themes that may be associated with radical or extremist ideologies.
These include terrorist flags and emblems, as well as extremist gestures and slogans.
“Parents should also monitor the in-game interactions between their children and other online players to ensure that they are not being recruited for terrorist activities or peddled radical narratives,” said ISD.
If parents spot such warning signs, the authorities say they are to report the matter to them, as hard as it can be to do so.
On Oct 18, 2024, Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam said that self-radicalised Singaporean young people have over the years been reported to ISD by their families and teachers. It is this early reporting by the public that is critical in protecting society from terror attacks, he stressed.
He said: “Parents will want their children to be safe. No parent really wants his child to go and do something, then die in the process – do something bad, kill others, then he himself, or she herself, is killed.”
Anyone who knows or suspects a person has been radicalised can call the ISD hotline on 1800-2626-473 (1800-2626-ISD).
- Hariz Baharudin is a correspondent at The Straits Times covering politics.