A 14-year-old Singaporean boy made history as the first case of self-radicalisation mixing multiple extremist ideologies. The Internal Security Department slapped him with a restriction order under the Internal Security Act in September 2025.
The Secondary 3 student went down a rabbit hole of ISIS support, far-right and far-left extremism, communism, anti-Semitic beliefs, and incel ideology. All this happened within just one year of stumbling upon extremist content online. He put Osama bin Laden, Adolf Hitler, and Kim Jong Il on pedestals while developing deep hatred for women and Jews.
His journey into extremism started in mid-2024. Online algorithms served him far-right extremist content on a silver platter. He found foreign extremist personalities posting far-right material and true crime content about real-life murders, assaults, and serial killings.
Hours Down the Rabbit Hole
The teenager spent several hours daily devouring content about violent anti-Semitic beliefs. He read manifestos by far-right terrorists Brenton Tarrant and Anders Breivik. Tarrant killed more than 50 people during the 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings in New Zealand. Breivik murdered more than 70 people in the 2011 Norway attacks.
The boy developed intense hatred for Jews and backed Nazi figures like Hitler. But here’s the twist – as a Muslim, he rejected anti-Muslim rhetoric from far-right groups.
He simultaneously championed far-left extremism, seeing it as anti-Zionist and anti-imperialist. He supported socialism and communism while rejecting capitalism, which he labeled a Jewish ideology. He praised Kim Jong Il for building a socialist-communist government in North Korea.
In November 2024, the teenager watched an ISIS combat video on social media. This pushed him to join pro-ISIS and jihadist communities online. He became convinced of ISIS’ mission to establish an Islamic caliphate through violence.
By April 2025, he pledged allegiance to ISIS. He idolised Osama bin Laden as the founding father of modern jihad. His social media accounts became flooding grounds for ISIS-related materials. He dreamed of becoming a fighter for the militant group when he got older.
The boy shared extremist content with some schoolmates. None of them became radicalised.
He connected with several foreign extremists online. One alleged Iraq-based ISIS supporter offered to help plan an attack in Singapore and sent bomb-making manuals. The boy never took steps to carry out such an attack.
The teenager fantasised about killing Jews and carrying out a school shooting. He believed attacks by school shooters like Elliot Rodger were justified acts against oppressors.
He identified as an incel after falling under the influence of incel-related content in late 2023. Incel stands for “involuntary celibate” – a subculture of mostly men who can’t find romantic or sexual partners despite wanting them. This community harbours hatred for women and people they see as more sexually successful.
The boy discovered incel content when he became self-conscious about his looks. He found social media content about “looksmaxxing” – an incel subculture offering tips to improve physical appearance. Some incel ideologies connect to misogyny, violence, and extremism.
His family had no clue about his radicalisation. He covered his tracks by deleting extremist content from his devices and using data obfuscation tools to hide his digital footprint when visiting radical websites.
ISD noted the boy’s grasp of far-right and far-left extremist concepts was paper-thin. He supported conflicting aspects of these ideologies – backing North Korea’s communist government while also supporting Nazism for being anti-communist.
The boy will undergo religious counselling paired with psychological and social rehabilitation. He gets a community mentor because of his young age. ISD officers will work with his school and family to provide adequate support without disrupting his studies.
Business Owner Planned Armed Violence in Syria and Turkey
ISD also issued a restriction order in July 2025 to Muhammad Jihadul Mustaqiim Mahmud. The 30-year-old self-employed online business owner wanted to engage in armed violence in Syria and take up arms against Greece to defend Turkey.
Jihadul learned about the Syrian conflict in 2011 through social media. He became invested and developed hatred for the Assad regime, which he viewed as oppressive. He felt deep empathy for suffering Syrian civilians.
In 2019, personal setbacks accelerated his descent into extremism. He became frustrated after Assad’s regime recaptured rebel-held territory. He consumed online content about the conflict to distract himself from reality.
That year, he wanted to fight alongside Syrian rebel groups and die a “meaningful death” to escape his circumstances. In 2022, he learned about Malhama Tactical – a group of private Syrian military contractors training rebels to fight Assad’s regime. He considered joining them in Syria.
Even after Assad’s regime fell in December 2024, Jihadul remained interested in Syria’s situation. Since March 2025, he engaged in online discussions with an alleged Syrian-based extremist about developments there.
He hoped to travel to Syria by end-2025 to meet former Syrian fighters for training in tactical movement and live-firing. He made no specific travel preparations.
Jihadul shifted his attention to territorial disputes between Turkey and Greece, which he had been following since 2022. He immersed himself in consuming online information about the disputes. He considered taking up arms to defend Turkey if the disputes escalated into armed conflict.
To prepare for overseas fighting, Jihadul watched tactical movement videos and engaged in live-firing at a range in Phuket, Thailand, during his February 2025 vacation. He looked for firing ranges offering specific assault rifle models he had researched as prevalent among military groups in Syria and Turkey.
He couldn’t find firing ranges for civilians to practice with such weapons. He operated three different conventional firearms at the Phuket range instead. His family remained unaware of his plans.
ISD noted that restriction orders against two other Singaporeans have been allowed to lapse. They made good progress in rehabilitation and no longer require close supervision.
Kuthubdeen Haja Najumudeen, 42, was detained in May 2019 and released in May 2021. His restriction order lapsed in May 2025.
Muhammad Anwar Jailani, 59, received a restriction order in June 2010. His order lapsed in July 2025.
Besides these two new cases announced on September 9, there were three other ISA cases in 2025. In January, a 56-year-old housewife managing social media groups supporting Islamist militant and terrorist organisations received a restriction order.
In February, a 15-year-old girl wanting to marry an ISIS fighter in Syria received a restriction order. She became the first female teen dealt with under the ISA.
In March, a 17-year-old boy planning to kill at least 100 Muslims was detained under the ISA.
Anyone issued with a restriction order cannot change residence or employment, or travel out of Singapore, without Director ISD approval. The individual cannot access the internet or social media, issue public statements, address public meetings, or print, distribute, or contribute to any publication. They cannot hold office in, or be members of any organisation, association, or group, without Director ISD approval.
ISD said the terrorism threat in Singapore remains high, driven by a volatile global landscape arising from developments like the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The “salad bar” threat remains severe as it motivates individuals to engage in violence.
