Singapore repatriates radicalised Malaysian

The Singapore Internal Security Department (ISD), in a statement today said the man’s wife, however, was issued with a Restriction Order under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for a period of two years in August 2020 after investigations found that she had been radicalised by her husband.

ISD said it had worked closely with the Malaysian Special Branch (MSB) on the investigations into Mohd Firdaus Kamal Intdzam, a cleaner in Singapore, who was arrested under the ISA in July 2020.

“His work pass was cancelled and he was repatriated to Malaysia and handed over to MSB in August 2020 upon the completion of ISD’s investigation into him,” it said.

Among others, ISD said Firdaus’ path to radicalisation began in 2016 whereby he harboured the intention to travel to Syria with his wife to fight alongside ISIS.

His wife, Ruqayyah Ramli, a 34-year-old Singaporean, also supported Firdaus’ intentions to join ISIS and take up arms in Syria.

The housewife and part-time freelance religious teacher was also willing to accompany her husband to Syria, and intended to bring her two children along.

“She believed that her role in the conflict zone would be to take care of the family (through cooking and housework), and to assist other wounded ISIS fighters,” it said.