Singaporean authorities refused entry to a Malaysian scholar earlier this week because of her political activism, with its home affairs ministry calling her an undesirable visitor. Fadiah Nadwa Fikri had encouraged some youths in Singapore to adopt her brand of radical advocacy, the ministry said in a statement on Friday, without specifying what she advocated for.
Fadiah is a human rights lawyer and anti-corruption activist in Malaysia, according to Irish-based NGO Front Line Defenders. She is also a vocal advocate for Palestinians on social media. Fadiah wrote on X that being denied entry was tantamount to a deliberate attack on my scholarly work and labeled the experience as extremely distressing and outrageous.
She gained attention on social media after posting a notice of entry refusal issued on Sunday by immigration authorities, declaring her ineligible for the issue of a pass under current immigration policies. Fadiah had planned to visit Singapore to collect her PhD degree certificate from the National University of Singapore, which she obtained in January, and to deliver a guest lecture on her thesis.
Fadiah expressed concern that the immigration authorities were unwilling to disclose the specific reasons for her ban. The Ministry of Home Affairs further stated that Fadiah had encouraged youths in Singapore to go beyond protests and engage in disruptive and violent actions to support specific causes. They affirmed that Singapore will not tolerate foreign interference in its domestic politics, nor any promotion of unlawful protest methods.
Fadiah is an undesirable visitor, and we have thus denied her entry into our country, the ministry declared. Singapore has strict rules against protests, necessitating a police permit for public gatherings supporting any cause. Critics argue these regulations suppress freedom of expression and civil activism.
The issue disregards previous similar instances, such as when Singapore denied entry to Nathan Law, a pro-democracy activist from Hong Kong. His detention at the border was tied to his advocacy against the Chinese government.
Fadiah is a human rights lawyer and anti-corruption activist in Malaysia, according to Irish-based NGO Front Line Defenders. She is also a vocal advocate for Palestinians on social media. Fadiah wrote on X that being denied entry was tantamount to a deliberate attack on my scholarly work and labeled the experience as extremely distressing and outrageous.
She gained attention on social media after posting a notice of entry refusal issued on Sunday by immigration authorities, declaring her ineligible for the issue of a pass under current immigration policies. Fadiah had planned to visit Singapore to collect her PhD degree certificate from the National University of Singapore, which she obtained in January, and to deliver a guest lecture on her thesis.
Fadiah expressed concern that the immigration authorities were unwilling to disclose the specific reasons for her ban. The Ministry of Home Affairs further stated that Fadiah had encouraged youths in Singapore to go beyond protests and engage in disruptive and violent actions to support specific causes. They affirmed that Singapore will not tolerate foreign interference in its domestic politics, nor any promotion of unlawful protest methods.
Fadiah is an undesirable visitor, and we have thus denied her entry into our country, the ministry declared. Singapore has strict rules against protests, necessitating a police permit for public gatherings supporting any cause. Critics argue these regulations suppress freedom of expression and civil activism.
The issue disregards previous similar instances, such as when Singapore denied entry to Nathan Law, a pro-democracy activist from Hong Kong. His detention at the border was tied to his advocacy against the Chinese government.
