Arifin Ali, also known as John Wong Ah Hung, was freed and placed on a Restriction Order (RO) on Monday, the Ministry of Home Affairs said on Tuesday. The order limits his activities, requiring him, among other things, to undergo counselling and seek government approval before changing jobs or address, or going abroad.

Arifin was arrested and detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) in 2003, two years after he fled Singapore during a security crackdown on the JI network here.

The ministry said in a statement: 'Since his detention in June 2003, Arifin had cooperated in investigations and shown considerable progress in his rehabilitation. He is assessed to no longer pose a security threat that requires further preventive detention.'

He was a trainer in the JI's military training and security unit. In 1999, he gave training in handling weapons and explosives at Camp Abu Bakar, a base of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in the Philippines.

He returned to Singapore and fled to Malaysia in December 2001 when the Government began a security operation against the local JI network plotting to bomb several targets here.

Arifin went into hiding in January 2002 in Thailand, where he worked with a group of like-minded individuals in plotting attacks against targets there, including Singapore's embassy. He was also considering targeting Singapore's ambassador to Thailand.

But his plans were foiled when he was arrested in May 2003 by the Thai authorities, following information from Singapore's Internal Security Department (ISD). He was deported here.

Security analyst John Harrison of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies said his release is hardly any cause for concern because the authorities would have ensured detainees pose no security threat.

'Being on an RO is a transitional phase to make sure there is no reversion, but it also starts the process of his reintegration into society,' he said.

Read the full report in Wednesday's edition of the Straits Times

zakirh@sph.com.sg