10-2-2025 (SINGAPORE) A disturbing case of self-radicalisation has emerged in Singapore as authorities detained an 18-year-old Chinese youth who planned violent attacks against the local Muslim community, drawing inspiration from the 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings.
The Internal Security Department (ISD) revealed today that Nick Lee Xing Qiu, a student who became radicalised through social media exposure to far-right extremist content, was detained in December 2024. He is the third Singaporean youth to be held under the Internal Security Act for right-wing extremism.
Lee’s radicalisation journey began in early 2023 when he started consuming anti-Islamic content online. His views grew increasingly extreme after repeatedly watching footage of the Christchurch mosque attacks, leading him to idolise the perpetrator and even recreate the attacks through modified video games.
The youth, who branded himself an “East Asian supremacist”, got himself tattooed with far-right symbols and purchased neo-Nazi themed clothing. He harboured plans to attack local mosques and Muslim residences using homemade weapons, hoping to livestream the violence.
In a separate case, a 56-year-old housewife received a restriction order for supporting militant networks in the Middle East conflict. Additionally, authorities repatriated a 34-year-old Malaysian cleaner in November for self-radicalisation.
“These cases demonstrate that Singapore faces ongoing terrorism threats, particularly through self-radicalisation”, an ISD spokesperson said. “The concerning trend shows that extremist ideologies can affect individuals regardless of their background”.
Investigators found no evidence that Lee’s family or teachers were aware of his radicalisation. His attack plans remained conceptual without a fixed timeline when authorities intervened. The ISD has conducted thorough checks of his online networks and determined there is no immediate security threat.
