In first case, Singapore detains teen who idolised Hitler, bin Laden and Kim Jong-Il under ISA restriction order

In first case, Singapore detains teen who idolised Hitler, bin Laden and Kim Jong-Il under ISA restriction order



Singapore’s Internal Security Department said the 14-year-old boy’s extremist leanings stopped at sharing ISIS materials on social media and to his schoolmates. — Pexels pic

Tuesday, 09 Sep 2025 3:05 PM MYT


SINGAPORE, Sept 9 — Singapore has recorded its first case of a youth being self-radicalised by a mix of extremist ideologies, after a 14-year-old boy embraced elements of ISIS, Nazism and communism within a year.

The Internal Security Department (ISD) said the teen consumed online extremist materials and came to idolise figures such as Osama bin Laden, Adolf Hitler and North Korea’s late leader Kim Jong-Il, The Straits Times reported today.


The ISD called the case unprecedented, noting the boy had simultaneously adopted far-right, far-left and jihadist narratives despite their contradictions.

Investigations showed he became exposed to extremist content in mid-2024 after stumbling upon foreign personalities online who mixed far-right and true crime content.


He later read the manifestos of Brenton Tarrant, who carried out the Christchurch mosque shootings in 2019, and Anders Breivik, the man behind the 2011 Norway attacks.


ISD said the boy grew hostile towards Jews, identified as an “incel” who hated women, and even expressed interest in carrying out a school shooting.

By late 2024, he had joined pro-ISIS communities online, pledged allegiance to the group and saw bin Laden as the father of modern jihad.


He was also in contact with foreign extremists, including an alleged ISIS supporter in Iraq who offered to help him plan an attack in Singapore and sent him bomb-making manuals.

Although he did not act on these plans, he had shared ISIS materials on social media and even circulated some extremist content to his schoolmates.

ISD said his understanding of the ideologies was shallow, pointing out that he supported both communism in North Korea and Nazism despite the two being fundamentally opposed.

Because of his age, the boy has been placed on a restriction order and will undergo counselling, rehabilitation and mentoring while his school and family provide additional support.

The ISD said the case reflects a global trend of young people being drawn to a “salad bar” mix of extremist ideas online, warning that even contradictory beliefs can still fuel violence.