Singapore detains three Indonesian domestic workers over Isis-related terrorism financing

The three became radicalised in 2018 after viewing materials about Isis and sermons by radical preachers online

The island nation has deported 16 other radicalised foreign domestic workers since 2015, but this is the first time detainment orders have been issued

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The three women – Anindia Afiyantari, 33; Retno Hernayani, 36; and Turmini, 31 – had worked in the city state for between six and 13 years. Photo: Reuters

Published: 9:42pm, 23 Sep 2019Updated: 9:50pm, 23 Sep 2019

Singapore’s authorities have for the first time detained three domestic workers on suspicions of financing terror activities, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said in a Monday statement.

The three Indonesian women – Anindia Afiyantari, 33; Retno Hernayani, 36; and Turmini, 31 – had worked in the city state for between six and 13 years.

They had become radicalised in 2018 after viewing materials about Islamic State on the internet, as well as online sermons by Indonesian radical preachers.

A fourth Indonesian domestic worker – not radicalised, but “aware of others’ radicalisation” – was arrested, investigated and then repatriated to Indonesia, the MHA said.

The ministry said it had deported 16 other radicalised foreign domestic workers since 2015 but had not issued detainment orders in those cases.

Investigations into the trio’s terrorism-financing activities are being carried out by the MHA, which said while none of the 19 foreign domestic workers had planned to carry out any acts of violence, “their radicalisation and association with terrorists overseas had rendered them a security threat to Singapore”.

The public should exercise caution against viewing radical material online, including sermons by extremist preachers

Singapore’s Ministry of Home Affairs