SINGAPORE – They work behind closed doors, their identities a secret because their job includes working with terror detainees under the Internal Security Act (ISA) to turn them around from being a threat to society.
Dave (not his real name) has been an intelligence psychologist with the Internal Security Department (ISD) for five years.
When a radicalised person is detained, Dave and others in the team are among those called in to rehabilitate the individual.
He said intelligence psychologists conduct psychological assessments and interventions for individuals detained or issued with restriction orders under the ISA for terrorism-related activities.
Dave, who is in his 30s, added: “Our aim is to better understand each person’s rehabilitation needs, psychological vulnerabilities to radicalisation, motivations and strengths, and tailor our rehabilitation approach accordingly.
“We also run psychological rehabilitation programmes that strengthen areas such as critical thinking, emotional regulation, identity development and adaptive coping.”
In its annual terrorism report released on Sept 10, the ISD, which is part of the Home Team, said the terrorist threat in Singapore remains high, fuelled by conflicts in the Middle East.
Youth radicalisation is a pressing concern, with the number of cases involving young people here almost quadrupling in recent years – from four cases between 2017 and 2021 to 15 cases since 2022.
The report also noted that the rehabilitation programmes have been successful. Since 2002, more than 80 per cent of Singaporeans detained under the ISA have been released after making good progress in their rehabilitation.
Dave and his colleague Cass (not her real name), another intelligence psychologist at ISD, spoke to the media via e-mail in a rarely granted interview.
Their counter-terrorism involvement is part of SGSecure, a national movement launched in 2016 to prepare Singaporeans to deal with terrorist attacks and equip them with skills to handle a crisis. The movement will mark its 10th anniversary on Sept 23.
During the interview, Dave and Cass recounted their experience counselling radicalised individuals. Dave said it was early in his career when he counselled a youth detainee.
“At the time, I had certain expectations about what a radicalised person would look like (and how they would behave). However, as I sat down with the individual, I was surprised by how ‘normal’ they seemed – their speech, behaviour and mannerisms were familiar, because it felt like it almost mirrored my younger self.”
He said the encounter made him realise that the threats he deals with are not always visible just because they are “extreme”, but can be more subtle and invisible.
“This understanding changed the way I approached my work, making me more aware of the complexities and nuances of radicalisation, and, more fundamentally, that no one is immune to radicalisation,” he added.
Dave said the experience also helped him see that many radicalised individuals were “normal” people “who had been misled – some even duped – into believing certain ideologies”.
He added: “This led me to recognise that rehabilitation requires a deeper understanding of the individual’s motivations, vulnerabilities and circumstances.
“Most importantly, it made me believe that these individuals deserve a second chance. Despite the harm they may have wanted to cause or the ideologies they may have espoused in the past, I came to understand that they are still human beings capable of growth and change.”
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