Singapore has seen more cases of radicalisation this year – including women and even uniformed officers.

“Security agencies in the regional countries have equally been ramping up their efforts to counter, and have been arresting a lot of people,” said Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam in an interview with Channel NewsAsia.

Deputy Head of International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Dr Jolene Jerard, said that on the part of the authorities, the pace of efforts to date have been commendable.

She also noted efforts to build on the mutual respect and understanding between racial and religious communities – which moved beyond tolerance, to understanding and acceptance of practices and beliefs. These included community dialogues and sharing sessions between leaders and members of the various groups held throughout the year.