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SINGAPORE : They are young and they feel they have been left out of the dialogue on the terror threat.
So one group of Malay students initiated a dialogue with the country's internal security officers to find out more about the issue, even before a seminar organised by the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) for Muslim students this week.

For 16 and 17 year-old Malay students in Singapore, events in the past year have been disturbing.

First, the disrespectful cartoons on Prophet Mohammed in Denmark, which sparked riots, stirred their own religious sensitivities.

Next, the civilian casualty rate in the ongoing war in Iraq also stirred anti-American sentiments among a handful of them.

But while worries over the twin threats of radicalism and terrorism were on their minds, some students felt they had not been sufficiently engaged on these issues - and they wanted to find out more.

So a group of nine Malay students from the Malay Literary, Dramatic and Debating Society at National Junior College took things into their own hands and initiated a dialogue with officers from the Internal Security Department and members of the Religious Rehabilitation Group on February 10.

The Religious Rehabilitation Group was started by Islamic religious scholars in Singapore to clarify the misuse and abuse of Islamic concepts by terrorists.

They also work with Jemaah Islamiyah members who have been detained under the Internal Security Act.

The students even sourced their own funding for the event, while their teachers took a back seat, guiding them only when help was needed.

Student Nur Nadiah Supaat said, "We started this dialogue because we realised that there are many terrorism dialogues or symposiums but they are only targeted at the adult level, so we decided to extend it to JC students because we feel that they do have something to say about it as well."

Another student, Muhammad Kamarudin, added, "In the classroom, we are more formal with one another, and also we are assessed and also because of the presence of other races, so we may not be as frank as compared to the programme that we just had."

Students said the dialogue which brought together 30 Malay junior college students from all over Singapore was a success.

And that was because they walked away with an understanding of the causes of terrorism - as well as an awareness that the internet is spreading terrorist ideology.

Now, they feel they too have a role in countering terrorism.

Student Muhammad Faisal Johandi, said, "We really focused a lot on how youths can play a part in the effort against terrorism. Once you understand, then your role as a youth is to pass your understanding, your awareness to people around you."

The process of internalising these values, their teacher felt, was something that can't be easily taught with a textbook.

Artina Selamat said, "After going through this dialogue session, they are actually more active in the community, they are willing to actually speak to their other friends or discuss very openly among their friends."

The Education Ministry is revamping National Education.

Some of the key changes include empowering students to come up with their own programmes while teachers play a more facilitating role.

This is something that National Junior College is already doing and for its efforts, the college has won several National Education Awards.

The College plans to organise similar dialogues for future cohorts. - CNA/ms