SINGAPORE – A housewife who managed social media groups supporting Islamist militant and terrorist organisations, and a cleaner keen on joining terror group ISIS have been apprehended.
On Feb 10, the Internal Security Department (ISD) said the two self-radicalised individuals were influenced by the Israel-Hamas war that started on Oct 7, 2023.
ISD said it had issued a restriction order against Singaporean housewife Hamizah Hamzah, 56.
The cleaner, Saharuddin Saari, 34, was a Malaysian working in Singapore. He was arrested by ISD in November 2024 and repatriated to Malaysia that month.
Hamizah started following news about the Axis of Resistance (AOR), a network of Islamist militant and terrorist organisations including Hamas and Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades (AQB), when the Israel-Hamas war broke out.
She became a fervent AOR supporter and believed its violent acts were justified.
She also developed a hatred for Israel and the Israel Defence Forces, and believed they should be eradicated for their actions against Palestinians.
ISD said Hamizah deeply admired Hamas spokesperson Abu Obaidah and was willing to entertain militants linked to AOR if it contacted her, so she could know more about Abu Obaidah.
As she felt she did not have the physical ability and resources to take up arms in the Israel-Hamas war, she showed her support by posting pro-AOR content on social media.
When her accounts were banned for violent content, she would create new ones.
Hamizah was also the sole administrator of several pro-AOR social media groups, which had up to over 1,000 members.
Said ISD: “She took pride in being the administrator of these groups, and saw it as her responsibility to ensure that pro-AOR and anti-Israel narratives were actively propagated in them.”
ISD said Hamizah had no attack plans nor intentions to engage in armed violence, locally or overseas.
But it said her staunch support for AOR, her willingness to spread propaganda to promote its cause, and incitement of others to engage in armed violence, make her a security concern.
Hamizah’s family were unaware of her radicalisation, and she tried to keep her extremist views from them, fearing they would disapprove.
Saharuddin was radicalised in 2014 when he saw pro-ISIS materials online during the Syrian conflict.
He was convinced ISIS was the prophesied Black Flag Army which would defend Muslims during the end times.
By 2017, Saharuddin was a staunch ISIS supporter and pledged allegiance to its self-declared caliph, or ruler.
He wanted to die as a martyr performing armed jihad against the perceived enemies of Islam, and fight alongside any group trying to establish an Islamic caliphate in South-east Asia.
Since 2015, he also wanted to travel to Syria to join ISIS and tried to contact ISIS militants for this.
Between 2015 and 2016, an online contact who identified himself as a Malaysian ISIS fighter advised Saharuddin to take a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Turkey, and offered to escort him from Turkey to Syria by land.
But Saharuddin did not have enough money, and the trip never happened.
Following the Israel-Hamas war, Saharuddin believed Hamas and AQB were legitimate defenders of Muslims and interpreted the conflict as a sign of the end times.
He considered going to Gaza to fight alongside AQB but again, could not travel due to the lack of funds.
ISD said Saharuddin had no plans to attack Singapore, but it added: “However, he was willing to undertake acts of violence in Singapore should he perceive Singapore as siding with the enemies of Islam.”
ISD said it worked closely with the Malaysian Special Branch (MSB) – the country’s intelligence agency – on investigations into Saharuddin.
His work pass was cancelled after his arrest, and he was handed over to MSB.
Announcing the cases involving Hamizah, Saharuddin and Singaporean student Nick Lee Xing Qiu, 18, who was influenced by far-right extremist ideologies, ISD said radicalised individuals come from diverse profiles.
It said such individuals increasingly subscribe to a variety of violent extremist ideologies, including narratives that leverage overseas conflicts.
Since the onset of the Israel-Hamas war, ISD has dealt with at least six Singaporeans under the Internal Security Act whose radicalisation was either triggered or accelerated by the conflict.
In January, ISD said three Singaporean men were detained in November 2024 after becoming affected by the Israel-Hamas war and separately self-radicalised online.
Lift mechanic Muhammad Indra Aqmal Effendy, 21; digital marketing company director Mohamad Latiff Rahim, 41; and security guard Nurisham Yusoff, 44, were arrested in October 2024.
They had practised how to kill, and had either gone to or planned to visit shooting ranges in Thailand and Indonesia to train using firearms. One of them was willing to carry out attacks in Singapore.
They were detained as they were readying to travel to the Middle East.
Indra and Nurisham planned to fight for Hamas in Gaza, while Latiff planned to fight for Iran-linked militant groups in the Middle East.
Anyone who knows or suspects that a person has been radicalised should contact the ISD hotline on 1800-2626-473 (1800-2626-ISD).
- Christine Tan is a journalist at The Straits Times reporting on crime, justice and social issues in Singapore.
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