Singapore has locked up suspected militant with Indonesian ties Masyhadi Mas Selamat, under its Internal Security Act.

He is the 25-year-old son of Mas Selamat bin Kastari, Indonesian-born leader of Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) in Singapore and also in custody there. JI was behind the 2002 Bali bombing.

On January 9th, Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) announced that it handed Masyhadi a two-year detention order.

His term began November 21st, 2013 after Indonesia deported him to Singapore on October 30th, according to MHA officials.

"Masyhadi was schooled in JI religious schools in Indonesia from the young age of 13, where he imbibed JI's radical teachings, and had undergone paramilitary training there when he was older," the ministry said in a news release.

"He formally became a member of the JI terrorist organisation after taking the oath of allegiance when he turned 21. He has, among other things, conducted JI surveillance activities and disseminated radical propaganda online in support of jihadist violence," the ministry added.

Bilateral co-operation

"Masyhadi was arrested because of a government-to-government effort," Wawan Purwanto, a terrorism expert at the University of Indonesia (UI), told Khabar Southeast Asia.

Ten days before his deportation, Indonesian authorities arrested the Singaporean national in Solo, Central Java on charges of overstaying his visa and forging an identity card.

"He changed his name to Hanif Mas Salamat and has been living in Indonesia since he was 13," Indonesian National Police spokesman Boy Rafli Amar told Khabar. "He was on the Singaporean 'Wanted list' due to his involvement in terrorism."

And although Masyhadi's official arrest letter focused on the alleged immigration violation, Toni Hermanto, vice head of the Indonesian National Police's Criminal Law division, expressed his certitude the suspect was involved with terrorism.

"I am sure he has some involvement in the JI network," Toni told Khabar, adding the details were still undetermined and that both Indonesia and Singapore would continue to co-operate in combatting terrorism.

Who is Masyhadi?

According to media accounts, Masyhadi's movements in Indonesia followed his father's arrival in the archipelago in 2001.

Mas Selamat entered Indonesia using a false identity. In 2006, Indonesian authorities arrested him and sent him back to Singapore, where he was wanted for an alleged 2002 terrorist plot to hijack a commercial flight from Bangkok and crash the plane into Changi Airport.

Singaporean authorities placed him in detention under the Internal Security Act. He escaped in February 2008, but was re-captured in May 2009 in Johor, Malaysia and returned to Singaporean detention.

Meanwhile, his son continued to study at Pesantren Darul Saadah, in Boyolali, Central Java. After graduating, Masyhadi became a preacher, living mostly in Madiun and in Pacitan.