Internal Security Department (Singapore)
Coordinates: 1°19′24.58″N 103°50′38.72″E / 1.3234944°N 103.8440889°E
| Internal Security Department | |
|---|---|
| Jabatan Keselamatan Dalam Negeri | |
| 新加坡内部安全局 | |
| Xīn jiā pō nèi bù ān quán jú | |
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|
| Seal of the ISD | |
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | August 11, 1970 |
| Jurisdiction | Government of Singapore |
| Headquarters | New Phoenix Park, 28 Irrawaddy Road, Singapore |
| Agency executive | Classified[1], Director |
| Parent agency | Singaporean Ministry of Home Affairs |
| Website | |
| Official Site | |
The Internal Security Department (Abbreviation: ISD; Chinese: 新加坡内部安全局; pinyin: Xīn jiā pō nèi bù ān quán jú) 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.[1]
The identity of ISD's director is not made known to the public for most of his or her term. The most recently known director of ISD is Mr. Pang Kin Keong, currently Permanent Secretary for Law. This was made known to the public when he was conferred honours on National Day 2010, shortly before he stepped down.[2]Former directors include Mr. S R Nathan, Mr. Eddie Teo, Mr. Lim Chye Heng (acting)[3], Mr. Tjong Yik Min[4]
Contents |
[edit] Legislation
The powers of investigation and arrest of the ISD are regulated by several laws, including:[5]
- Criminal Procedure Code
- Official Secrets Act
- Internal Security Act
- Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act
[edit] History
ISD was first established as part of the Special Branch 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.
[edit] Timeline
- See also: Timeline of Singaporean history
These events are related to ISD and internal security of Singapore.
- 1950, Maria Hertogh riots
- 1963, arrest of left-wing politicians and trade unionists during Operation Coldstore
- 1964, 21 July - 8 September, Chinese-Malay riots, took place on Prophet Muhammad's birthday
- 1965, 10 March, MacDonald House bombing by Indonesian saboteurs killed 3 people, during the konfrontasi period
- 1966, arrest of 22 members of Barisan Sosialis.
- 1969, communal clashes spillover from May 13 Ethnic Riots - Malaysia
- 1974, 31 January, Laju incident, Japanese Red Army bombed petroleum tanks at Pulau Bukom 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 Eelam uncovered
- 1987, arrest of 22 alleged pro-Marxist activists during Operation Spectrum
- 1991, four Pakistanis hijacked Singapore Airlines Flight 117
- 1997, 1998, six arrested for involvement in espionage and foreign subversive activities
- 2001, 9 December, members of Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) arrested for bomb plot
- 2008, 27 February, Mas Selamat bin Kastari, 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 Skudai, 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"[6]
[edit] See also
- Security and Intelligence Division, the external intelligence agency.
[edit] References
- General
- Lee Kuan Yew. (1998). The Singapore Story. Federal Publications. ISBN 0-13-020803-5
- Mathew Jones, “Creating Malaysia: Singapore Security, the Borneo Territories and the Contours of British Policy, 1961-1963” in Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History, Vol. 28, No. 2, May 2000. pp. 85–109
- Specific
- ^ a b "SOC Listing Of Foreign Intelligence Services". http://www.specialoperations.com/Intelligence/foreign.html. Retrieved 2010-07-12.
- ^ New appointments for other permanent secretaries, The Straits Times, August 13, 2010
- ^ http://newspapers.nl.sg/Digitised/Article.aspx?articleid=straitstimes19750104.2.47&sessionid=99968b40a614417d9ae4ec14531ef4cc&keyword=%22Security+and+Intelligence+Division%22&lang=en&token=and%2csecurity%2cdivision%2cintelligence
- ^ http://newspapers.nl.sg/Digitised/Article.aspx?articleid=straitstimes19860704.2.7&sessionid=99968b40a614417d9ae4ec14531ef4cc&keyword=%22Security+and+Intelligence+Division%22&lang=en&token=and%2csecurity%2cdivision%2cintelligence
- ^ "About ISD". Internal Security Department. http://www.mha.gov.sg/isd/abt-isd.htm. Retrieved 2010-07-12.
- ^ ""Pastor called up by ISD", Straits Times". http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_488212.html. Retrieved 2010-02-09.
[edit] External links
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