SINGAPORE: The arrest of a 17-year-old self-radicalised Singaporean less than a month before a planned terror attack in Tampines was a "very close shave" as he could have easily gone on a rampage, said Singapore's Minister for Law and Home Affairs K Shanmugam.

He was speaking to reporters on Friday (Oct 18) at an open area between Housing Board flats at Tampines Street 81, which the student had chosen as the location for his attack. 

The Internal Security Department (ISD) said in a press release on Friday that the youth was arrested under the Internal Security Act (ISA) in August before his planned attack during the school holidays in September.

He had planned to attack non-Muslim males near Tampines West Community Centre using either a kitchen knife or a pair of scissors from his home.

Following the arrest, the teen was subsequently issued a two-year detention order in September.

Responding to CNA's queries on the duration between the arrest and the planned attack, Mr Shanmugam said: "I would say this is one of the ones where it was quite close, fairly close.

"In the past, (in) many of the cases that I recall, the plans were still some way away."

Mr Shanmugam pointed out that the area that the teen had intended for the attack was frequented by "thousands of people" every day, including senior citizens and young children, and that it would be even more crowded during the school holidays.

"They are not coming here expecting to be attacked. People go around in Singapore feeling safe. Sohawkplay, he could easily have gone on a rampage and killed a lot of people around here."

The open space between Block 826 and 828 at Tampines Street 81, where a 17-year-old Singaporean male had planned to attack non-Muslim males during the September school holidays. (Photo: CNA/Lim Li Ting)

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