January 26, 2002	Saturday	Ziqa’ad 11, 1422

SINGAPORE, Jan 25: Singapore has ordered a Muslim group to register its Internet portal as a political Web site after its leader said the government had prompted local Muslim plots by aligning itself with the United States and Israel.

The decision comes at a time of heightened sensitivity after arrests of Muslims across Southeast Asia suspected of having links to Al Qaeda network.

“Singapore Broadcasting Authority (SBA) has been tracking the Web site for some time,” the watchdog said in a statement on Friday.

“In accordance with (rules put in place in 1996) requiring Web sites which spread, promote and discuss political issues to be registered, SBA has now asked Fateha to register their site.”

Zulfikar Mohamad Shariff, head of the group which calls its seven-month-old site the “Voice of the Singapore Muslim Community”, caused a furore over the weekend by his criticism of the government.

Singapore revealed earlier this month it had arrested 15 men last month for plotting to blow up a shuttle bus ferrying US military personnel and bomb US naval vessels.

Two have since been released and 13 are being held for two years under laws allowing detention without trial. The government says the detained men belonged to Jemaah Islamiah, a clandestine organization with ties to groups in Malaysia and Indonesia.

Zulfikar’s rare public critique was blasted by officials as an attempt to undermine race relations in the small, multi-ethnic nation of four million people.

“Whilst the registration process is under way, it is premature to speak about what action would be taken if Fateha fails to register,” the SBA said.—Reuters