LACK OF FUNDS STOPPED MALAYSIAN FROM TRAVELLING TO SYRIA, GAZA
Separately, a 34-year-old Malaysian working as a cleaner in Singapore was arrested under the ISA in November last year and repatriated to Malaysia, said the ISD.
Saharuddin Saari’s radicalisation began in 2014 when he encountered ISIS-related content relating to the Syrian conflict. By 2017, he became a staunch ISIS supporter, pledging allegiance to its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdad, who died after he detonated a suicide vest during a US-led military raid against his hideout in Syria in October 2019.
Even after Baghdadi’s death, Saharuddin continued to promote ISIS and armed jihad online, aspiring to die a martyr and fight for an Islamic caliphate in Southeast Asia.
He looked up ways to enter Syria and contacted ISIS militants for guidance. An online contact who identified himself as a Malaysian ISIS fighter gave him advice on a travel route, but Saharuddin lacked the funds to proceed.
After the Israel-Hamas conflict erupted in October 2023, he showed his support for Hamas and Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades (AQB) and considered travelling to Gaza to fight alongside the latter. Again, financial constraints prevented him from leaving.
According to ISD, Saharuddin had no attack plans against Singapore or had radicalised others in the country. However, he was willing to commit violence if he perceived “Singapore as siding with the enemies of Islam”.
Following ISD’s investigation, his work pass was cancelled and he was repatriated to Malaysia and handed over to the Malaysian Special Branch.
