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Terrorist group tried provoking war between SG and MY by cutting water pipelines 20 years ago, SG’s security dept reveals

JI had intended to create animosity between Singapore and Malaysia to provoke war.

Singapore’s Internal Security Department (ISD) recently released declassified details of plans by the extremist organisation Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) against 80 targets that took place on December 8, 2001, including attempting to provoke war between Singapore and Malaysia.

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20th anniversary of isd's operations against jemaah islamiyah in singapore
Screengrab via Singapore’s Internal Security Department.

Declassified documents reveal details of the plan

In a press release titled ‘20th Anniversary of ISD’s Operations Against Jemaah Islamiyah in Singapore‘, ISD’s operation exposed JI’s expansive network across Southeast Asia as well as its connections to Al Qaeda (AQ), which was responsible for the 9/11 attacks.

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Read also: I Was In SG Jail When I Was 19 And It Was Hell On Earth. But It Did Not Break My Spirit

The Singaporean government also claimed that JI had considered attacking US naval vessels in Singapore in the 1990s.

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Hand-written notes by a ji member detailing the construction of explosives.
Hand-written notes by a JI member detailing the construction of explosives. Photo: Singapore’s Internal Security Department.

The plan was given a new lease of life in early 2001 when two foreign operatives approached a Malaysian JI leader, who in turn approached Singapore JI members for information on US military vessels in Singapore.

Hambali, the key JI leader behind it all

In the lengthy report, ISD also revealed that Hambali, a key figure within JI, “was keen to create chaos by carrying out attacks in such a way that they implicated Malaysia.”

He had intended to create animosity between Singapore and Malaysia to provoke war.

Ji tried to attack water pipelines between malaysia and singapore
Photographs taken during the reconnaissance of PUB Woodlands Booster Station, Bukit Panjang Service Reservoir and the water pipeline at Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. Photo: Singapore’s Internal Security Department.

The report further added that Hambali believed JI could then take advantage of the instability to overthrow the secular governments of Singapore and Malaysia and establish an Islamic state.

Ji tries to attack water pipelines between malaysia and singapore, isd reveals
Photographs taken during the reconnaissance of PUB Woodlands Booster Station, Bukit Panjang Service Reservoir and the water pipeline at Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. Photo: Singapore’s Internal Security Department.

They also released footage and images showing detailed plans by JI to attack Singapore and Malaysia by cutting water pipelines in order to create tension between the two neighbouring countries.

JI detainee: ‘You’ve got two things to do’

ISD added that it had received valuable information about the plan from a JI detainee 20 years ago:

Over breakfast, “Jameel” told us that we have two things to do. One was to follow the water pipelines and the other, to take photographs of the water tanks in Woodlands and Bukit Panjang.

I recall that at some point later in mid-2001, “Jameel” told me the purpose of casing the pipelines was to blow them up in order to cut the water supply between Singapore and Malaysia.

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“Jameel” did not elaborate further other than saying that it was aimed at causing chaos in both countries.

Laying low in Indonesia

At the end of the 38-page report, Singapore noted that although JI’s Singaporean branch has been dismantled by the ISD, its regional network continues to work quietly behind the scenes in Indonesia, where it continues to conduct outreach and recruitment activities.


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Cover Images via ISD Singapore

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Editor: Sarah Yeoh


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