Singapore (VNA) – The Singapore Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) on July 22 banned the distribution and possession of the Al Fatihin newspaper published by Furat Media, a company linked to the self-proclaimed Islamic State group (IS).
A MCI statement clarified that the Singapore government has zero tolerance for terrorist propaganda and has therefore decided to prohibit Al Fatihin.
Anyone convicted of possessing or distributing the newspaper faced a fine or imprisonment, or both, it added.
According to MCI Minister Yaacob Ibrahum, IS uses the Al Fatihin newspaper to spread its extreme ideology, which is unacceptable. He also stressed Singapore ’s stance against terrorist propaganda, adding that the prohibition is necessary.
The paper, whose name means "The Conqueror" in Arabic, is also distributed in Bahasa language in Brunei , Indonesia , Malaysia , and southern Thailand , and southern part of the Philippines.-VNA