Singapore issued a 16-year-old male citizen with a restriction order in November after finding that he was self-radicalised by online far-right extremist propaganda.

"Although of Chinese ethnicity, the youth identified as a white supremacist, and aspired to conduct attacks overseas in furtherance of the white supremacist cause,” the Ministry of Home Affairs said in a statement. The teen will undergo a rehabilitation program.

A person issued with a restriction order under the Internal Security Act must abide by several conditions and restrictions, including not travelling out of Singapore or accessing the Internet or social media without approval.

Authorities around the world are having to deal with youths involved in terrorism-related activities. Singapore, a multi-cultural and multi-ethnic country, is no exception. Extremist groups are increasingly targeting youths for radicalisation, including abusing online gaming platforms and social media.

Separately, the ISD said it released a 19-year-old Singaporean after he made good progress in his rehabilitation and no longer posed an imminent security threat. The youth, who was detained in December 2020, had planned to conduct terrorist attacks using a machete.

 - Bloomberg