Internal Security Department
Encyclopedia
The Internal Security Department (Abbreviation: ISD; ) is a domestic intelligence agency
of the Ministry of Home Affairs
of Singapore
. It was formerly part of the Ministry of Interior and Defence
until it was split on 11 August 1970. It has the utmost right to detain without trial
individuals suspected to be a threat to national security.
The stated mission is to confront and address security
threats
, including international terrorism, foreign subversion and espionage
. The ISD also monitors and addresses potential threats from communism, prevention of racial tension which might affect the public peace, domestic counterterrorism, international counterterrorism, fraud against the state, surveillance, apprehension of suspected militants or terrorists and protection of Singapore's national borders.
Most of its manpower is based from the Singapore Police Force
.
Its most recent director is Mr Loh Ngai SengFormer directors include Mr. Eddie Teo
, Mr. Lim Chye Heng (acting), Mr. Tjong Yik Min
in 1948 by the British colonial government. In 1963, it became part of the Malaysian Special Branch
when Singapore joined the Malayan Federation. After Singapore gained independence, Internal Security Department was formally established on 17 February 1966.
These events are related to ISD and internal security of Singapore.
Intelligence agency
An intelligence agency is a governmental agency that is devoted to information gathering for purposes of national security and defence. Means of information gathering may include espionage, communication interception, cryptanalysis, cooperation with other institutions, and evaluation of public...
of the Ministry of Home Affairs
Ministry of Home Affairs (Singapore)
The Ministry of Home Affairs is a ministry of the Government of Singapore responsible for public safety, civil defence and immigration. It is also known as the Home Team. It is headed by the Minister for Home Affairs....
of Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. It was formerly part of the Ministry of Interior and Defence
Ministry of Interior and Defence
The Ministry of Interior and Defence of Singapore was set up in 1965, with Dr. Goh Keng Swee as the first Minister. The Ministry was responsible for both internal and external security, controlling both the Police Force and the Armed Forces....
until it was split on 11 August 1970. It has the utmost right to detain without trial
Detention (imprisonment)
Detention is the process when a state, government or citizen lawfully holds a person by removing their freedom of liberty at that time. This can be due to criminal charges being raised against the individual as part of a prosecution or to protect a person or property...
individuals suspected to be a threat to national security.
The stated mission is to confront and address security
Security
Security is the degree of protection against danger, damage, loss, and crime. Security as a form of protection are structures and processes that provide or improve security as a condition. The Institute for Security and Open Methodologies in the OSSTMM 3 defines security as "a form of protection...
threats
Imminent threat
Hugo Grotius, the 17th century jurist and father of public international law, stated in his 1625 magnum opus The Law of War and Peace that "Most Men assign three Just Causes of War, Defense, the Recovery of what's our own, and Punishment."...
, including international terrorism, foreign subversion and espionage
Espionage
Espionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
. The ISD also monitors and addresses potential threats from communism, prevention of racial tension which might affect the public peace, domestic counterterrorism, international counterterrorism, fraud against the state, surveillance, apprehension of suspected militants or terrorists and protection of Singapore's national borders.
Most of its manpower is based from the Singapore Police Force
Singapore Police Force
The Singapore Police Force is the main agency tasked with maintaining law and order in the city-state. Formerly known as the Republic of Singapore Police , it has grown from an 11-man organisation to a 38,587 strong force...
.
Its most recent director is Mr Loh Ngai SengFormer directors include Mr. Eddie Teo
Eddie Teo
Eddie Teo is the Chairman of Singapore's Public Service Commission. A civil servant in the Administrative Service for 35 years, he retired in 2005...
, Mr. Lim Chye Heng (acting), Mr. Tjong Yik Min
Legislation
The powers of investigation and arrest of the ISD are regulated by several laws, including:- Criminal Procedure Code
- Official Secrets Act
- Internal Security ActInternal Security Act (Singapore)The Internal Security Act of Singapore is a law that allows the Singapore government to investigate security threats like international terrorism, foreign subversion, espionage and acts of violence or hatred using race or religion...
- Maintenance of Religious Harmony ActMaintenance of Religious Harmony ActThe Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act is a Singapore statute which, according to its long title, provides for the maintenance of religious harmony, for the establishment of a Presidential Council for Religious Harmony , and for matters connected therewith...
History
ISD was first established as part of the Special BranchSpecial Branch
Special Branch is a label customarily used to identify units responsible for matters of national security in British and Commonwealth police forces, as well as in the Royal Thai Police...
in 1948 by the British colonial government. In 1963, it became part of the Malaysian Special Branch
Malaysian Special Branch
The Special Branch or SB is an intelligence agency attached to the Royal Malaysian Police. The SB is empowered to acquire and develop intelligence on internal and external threats to the nation, subversive activities, extremist activities and activities of sabotage and spying...
when Singapore joined the Malayan Federation. After Singapore gained independence, Internal Security Department was formally established on 17 February 1966.
Timeline
- See also: Timeline of Singaporean historyTimeline of Singaporean historyThis is a timeline of the history of Singapore. For more detailed annual listings, see List of years in Singapore.-Before 1800:* 3rd century – Early Chinese account of Singapore describes the island of "Pu Luo Chung"....
These events are related to ISD and internal security of Singapore.
- 1950, Maria Hertogh riotsMaria Hertogh riotsThe Maria Hertogh riots or Nadrah riots, began on 11 December 1950 in Singapore after a court decided that a child who had been raised by Muslims should be returned to her biological Catholic parents. A protest by outraged Muslims escalated into a riot when images were published showing 13-year-old...
- 1963, arrest of left-wing politicians and trade unionists during Operation ColdstoreOperation ColdstoreOperation Coldstore was a security operation launched in Singapore on 2 February 1963 in which at least 111 anti-government left-wing activists were arrested and detained, including key members of the opposition political party Barisan Sosialis...
- 1964, 21 July - 8 September, Chinese-Malay riots1964 Race RiotsThe 1964 Race Riots were a series of riots that took place in Singapore during two separate periods in July and September between Chinese and Malay groups. The first incident occurred on 21 July during a Malay procession that marked Prophet Muhammad's birthday. In total, the violence killed 36...
, took place on Prophet MuhammadMuhammadMuhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
's birthday - 1965, 10 March, MacDonald House bombingMacDonald House bombingThe MacDonald House bombing occurred on 10 March 1965, at the then Hongkong and Shanghai Bank building along Orchard Road of Singapore. The time bomb was planted by a duo of Indonesian saboteurs, during the period of Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation...
by IndonesiaIndonesiaIndonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n saboteurs killed 3 people, during the konfrontasi period - 1966, arrest of 22 members of Barisan SosialisBarisan SosialisThe Barisan Sosialis is a former Singaporean left-wing political party formed in 1961, by left-wing members of the People's Action Party and led by Dr Lee Siew Choh and Lim Chin Siong.-Formation:...
. - 1969, communal clashes spillover from May 13 Ethnic Riots - Malaysia
- 1974, 31 January, Laju incidentLaju incidentThe Laju Incident occurred on 31 January 1974 in Singapore, when four armed men attacked the Shell oil refinery complex on Pulau Bukom and later hijacked the ferryboat Laju.- Overview :...
, Japanese Red ArmyJapanese Red ArmyThe was a Communist terrorist group founded by Fusako Shigenobu early in 1971 in Lebanon. It sometimes called itself Arab-JRA after the Lod airport massacre...
bombed petroleum tanks at Pulau BukomPulau BukomPulau Bukom, also known as Pulau Bukum, is a small island located about five kilometres to the south of the main island of Singapore, off the Straits of Singapore. The size of Pulau Bukom is about 1.45 km²....
and hijacked a ferry boat - 1982, uncovered Singapore People's Liberation Organisation activities
- 1982, two Soviet spies exposed for espionage activities
- 1985, local network of Liberation Tigers of Tamil EelamLiberation Tigers of Tamil EelamThe Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam was a separatist militant organization formerly based in northern Sri Lanka. Founded in May 1976 by Vellupillai Prabhakaran, it waged a violent secessionist and nationalist campaign to create an independent state in the north and east of Sri Lanka for Tamil...
uncovered - 1987, arrest of 22 alleged pro-Marxist activists during Operation SpectrumOperation SpectrumOperation Spectrum was launched on May 21, 1987 by Singapore's Internal Security Department using the Internal Security Act . 16 people were arrested for their involvement in what was described as a "Marxist conspiracy". On June 20, 1987, four of the original 16 were released and six more were...
- 1991, four Pakistanis hijacked Singapore Airlines Flight 117Singapore Airlines Flight 117On March 26, 1991, Singapore Airlines Flight 117 was hijacked in flight by four male passengers who claimed to be Pakistanis. The aircraft landed at Singapore...
- 1997, 1998, six arrested for involvement in espionage and foreign subversive activities
- 2001, 9 December, members of Jemaah IslamiyahJemaah IslamiyahJemaah Islamiah , is a Southeast Asian militant Islamic organization dedicated to the establishment of a Daulah Islamiyah in Southeast Asia incorporating Indonesia, Malaysia, the southern Philippines, Singapore and Brunei...
(JI) arrested for bomb plotSingapore embassies attack plotThe Singapore embassies attack plot was a plan in 2001 by Jemaah Islamiyah to bomb the diplomatic missions and attack personnel of the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, and Israel based in Singapore. There were also several other targets. The plot was uncovered in December 2001 and as... - 2008, 27 February, Mas Selamat bin KastariMas Selamat bin KastariMas Selamat bin Kastari , an Indonesian-born Singaporean, was for more than a year Singapore's most-wanted fugitive after escaping from detention on 27 February 2008. The search for him has been described as the largest manhunt ever launched in Singapore...
, alleged leader of JI's Singapore branch, escaped while in ISD's custody. - 2009, 1 April, With the information provided from the Internal Security Department, the Malaysian Authorities managed to capture Mas Selamat in SkudaiSkudaiSkudai is a rapidly expanding suburb of Johor Bahru, the largest city in and the capital of the state of Johor in southern Malaysia. Skudai is part of the new growth corridor of southwest Johor, which includes the Senai International Airport, Tanjung Pelepas Port and the proposed new...
, Johor. - 2010, 8 February, the Internal Security Department summoned Pastor Rony Tan of Lighthouse Evangelism over video clips posted on the church website that were deemed 'highly inappropriate and unacceptable' as they "trivialised and insulted the beliefs of Buddhists and Taoists"