SINGAPORE: Batam-based religious radio station Radio Hang "strongly rejects" and opposes radical ideologies, terrorism and the Islamic State terror group, it said in a statement to Channel NewsAsia on Saturday (Aug 20).
Speaking to the Batam Pos, the radio station’s manager refuted claims that it promotes radical messages, and encourages acts of violence as well. The station’s manager also added that it is impossible to do so, because Radio Hang is monitored by the Broadcast Commission of Indonesia.
In response to its statement, Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) reiterated that Radio Hang sometimes features speakers who preach extremist views. On Friday, MHA said two Singaporeans detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) became radicalised after listening to the radio station.
On its Facebook page, Radio Hang describes itself as an Islamic station that preaches the message of Islam. Its reach extends to Singapore and Malaysia over the airwaves, and can be streamed online as well.
“You can hear - day and night - only about Islam (on Radio Hang),” co-chairman of the Religious Rehabilitation Group (RRG) Ali Haji Mohamed said, adding that it broadcasts hardline views as well. “When we talk about the programmes and preaching … (it's) mostly towards exclusivism and intolerance.”
Such exclusivist messages include prohibiting Muslims from sending their good wishes to non-Muslims during festive occasions like Christmas.
Ustaz Ali added that while the station does not promote violence, their messages can still lead listeners without a strong Islamic foundation astray. "They try to interpret the messages themselves without asking for guidance from our local religious teachers.”
MHA has said the Government will block websites and radio stations or remove online content that promotes radical ideology when deemed necessary. Asked if it will block access to Radio Hang in Singapore, the ministry said it is looking at all options.
However terrorism expert from the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies Graham Ong-Webb said blocking the station is a short-term measure. “It works against us in the long term to put in information controls because what we need is more information, not less,” he said.
“What we should do now, and especially in the medium term, is to empower our individuals, our citizens with the frameworks, the intellectual and moral compasses to make the evaluations and qualifications about the information they’re being exposed to and to ask themselves certain questions – whether the information is factually correct, and does it have any merit?”
Ustaz Ali said there are self-radicalised Muslims in Singapore because some think teachings of Islam here are not "pure", and turn to external outlets even if they propagate messages of violence.
"They think they can get 'pure' Quran, they can get 'pure' teachings of hadiths, and they see there are fiery preachers. And they see that Singapore is different. As though we in Singapore are not 'pure'."
MHA said it is important to sensitise the public to the dangers of extremist rhetoric, and equip them with social media literacy so that they will not be vulnerable to terrorist propaganda.