A Malaysian man named Muhammad Nur Hanief bin Abdul Jalil has been repatriated from Singapore after authorities learned that he was self-radicalized with extreme Islamic thoughts, confirms the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Singapore.
The 33-year-old man was working as a driver with a Singapore airfreight company. The convict was initially arrested under the Internal Security Act (ISA), and further investigations revealed that he was self-radicalized after watching online videos of foreign extremist preachers including Imran Hosein, Zakir Naik, and Anjem Choudary.
According to the MHA, words of these extreme preachers influenced the mind of Muhammed Nur Hanief, and at one point in time, he became ready to travel to Syria or Palestine join the militant groups there.
"He was also influenced by Ismail Menk and Haslin bin Baharim, who propagated segregationist and divisive teachings. Through sustained exposure to such materials, he became convinced that he should travel to Syria or Palestine to participate in the conflict there," wrote the MHA in a recently issued media release.
After suffering setbacks in his personal and professional lives in 2017, the Malaysian man decided to participate in the Syrian conflicts. As per the MHA, he was ready to join any militant organization there including the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), Free Syrian Army, or Hayat Tahrir al-Sh.
The convict even contacted extreme preacher Haslin bin Baharim and asked whether he will become a martyr if he dies in Syria.
"He contacted Haslin bin Baharim and sought his advice on whether he would become a martyr if he was killed in a conflict zone in Syria. Haslin's response was that it was God's will if one should die as a martyr, which Hanief interpreted as an affirmative reply," wrote the MHA.
