Educate the community on the responsible use of social media and reach out to the youth in order to prevent radicalisation and violent extremism, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law K. Shanmugam told an international conference on deradicalisation, the Ministry of Home Affairs said on Tuesday (Jan 26).

Mr Shanmugam was speaking on Singapore's efforts to counteract the threat of radical ideology and propaganda of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) at the two-day International Conference on Deradicalisation and Countering Violent Extremism in Kuala Lumpur, MHA said in a statement.

He highlighted the ongoing work by community organisations such as the Religious Rehabilitation Group, which has been providing religious counselling and conducting public outreach against the dangers of extremism, and the interagency Aftercare Group which provides a range of family care services to detainees, the ministry said.

Mr Shanmugam also emphasised the importance of community vigilance, preparedness and cohesion.

The Conference, which ended on Tuesday, provided a platform for countries to share experiences and best practices in addressing radicalisation and countering violent extremism, according to MHA.

It was attended by the 10 Asean member states, Japan, China, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, France, Italy, Britain and the United States.

Mr Shanmugam told reporters on the sidelines of the meeting on Monday that Singapore's security laws are sufficient to detain extremists before they can execute any violent acts. He added, however, that the Government has continued to ponder the need for added preventive measures.

The minister also stressed the importance of international collaboration in his speech at the conference. "Terrorism is a clear and present danger to us, and it is vital for countries to work very closely with each other," he was quoted by MHA as saying.

During his trip, Mr Shanmugam also met Malaysian leaders including Prime Minister Najib Razak, Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Foreign Minister Anifah Haji Aman, Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, and Tourism and Culture Minister Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz to discuss issues of bilateral interest, said MHA.