Prohibition of a Publication with Extremist Content under the Undesirable Publications Act

The Minister for Communications and Information has gazetted a publication “Menyingkap Rahsia Tentera Elit Briged Izzuddin Al-Qassam: Generasi Muda Perindu Syahid”  (“Uncovering the secrets of the Izz Ad-Din Al Qassam Brigades Elite Force: The Young Generation of Seekers of Martyrdom”) as a prohibited publication under the Undesirable Publications Act (UPA). The book is authored by Abdul Aziz Abu Bakar and Adnan M. El Halabi, and was published by Hijjaz Records Publishing in 2015.

The publication came to the Government’s notice in the course of investigations into 20-year-old Amirull bin Ali, who was detained under the Internal Security Act in March 2021. Amirull had purchased the publication overseas in 2015. Investigations determined that reading the publication was one of the factors that led to Amirull’s radicalisation.

The publication promotes armed jihad and contains extremist views that promote enmity among different religious communities. Such teachings and ideologies are detrimental to Singapore’s racial and religious harmony and relations. The Singapore Government has zero tolerance for individuals or publications which aim to incite hostility or violence among different religious groups and has therefore decided to prohibit this publication.

It is an offence to import, publish, sell or offer to sell, supply or offer to supply, exhibit, distribute or reproduce any prohibited publication or an extract of one. It is also an offence for any person to possess or come into possession of a prohibited publication, but fail to deliver the copy to the Police. Those convicted of an offence could be liable to a fine, imprisonment or both.

The prohibition of the publication will take effect from 25 June 2021. Members of the public who are in possession of the publication should hand them to the Police.