SINGAPORE: Since 2002, the authorities have released from detention 57 extremists who have been rehabilitated and were deemed no longer to pose a security threat. Of these, there was only one case of recidivism.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong revealed this at the closing of the two-day East Asia Summit on Religious Rehabilitation and Social Integration on Friday (Apr 17).

He attributed the “resounding success” to the work of the Religious Rehabilitation Group (RRG), formed in 2003, after a crackdown on the Jemaah Islamiyah terror network in Singapore. Mr Lee reiterated that security actions and operational capabilities are not enough to counter the terror threat. Just as important are rehabilitation and reintegration.