Singapore blocks accounts of Australian man accused of radicalisation
Singapore has directed TikTok and Meta to block local access to the social media accounts of an Australian man accused of contributing to the radicalisation of two Singaporeans, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) announced on Tuesday.
The individual, Zulfikar bin Mohamad Shariff, a former Singaporean who renounced his citizenship in 2020, allegedly urged Muslims to reject the city-state’s constitutional, secular system in favour of an Islamic state governed by Syariah law. Authorities said he also suggested violence could be used to achieve this goal.
Zulfikar was detained in 2016 under Singapore’s Internal Security Act (ISA) for promoting terrorism. Although released, the ISA allows authorities to impose strict restrictions, including limits on travel and internet usage.
According to MHA, Zulfikar continued posting content that sought to:
Incite discontent among the local Malay/Muslim community
Portray tensions with Singapore’s Chinese majority
Influence the city-state’s elections
The blocking orders were issued under the Online Criminal Harms Act, which took effect in February 2024 and grants the government powers to act against online threats.
Singapore, a multiracial nation where 74% of residents are Chinese, 13.6% Malay, and 9% Indian, has strict laws aimed at preserving racial and religious harmony.
“The Singapore government takes a very serious view of threats to our racial and religious harmony, including from foreigners,” the ministry said.
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