KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 22 — A Bangladeshi national, previously arrested by his government for alleged terror ties, entered Singapore on August 9 and preached to migrant workers at a dormitory without a permit.
The Straits Times reported that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said yesterday the Internal Security Department (ISD) was aware of the preacher, Amir Hamza and his background.
However, he entered Singapore on August 9 using a passport with a name different from the one in ISD’s databases, and his biometrics were not available at the time of entry.
Minister for Home Affairs and Law K. Shanmugam told reporters on August 21 that the passport appeared to be valid, which allowed Amir Hamza to “slip through” the system unnoticed.
Shanmugam said that Changi Airport must balance maintaining Singapore’s security with providing a welcoming experience for visitors, making it impractical to interview every arriving individual about their motives.
“On the face of it, he was no different from any other person who’s coming into Singapore. So we cannot work backwards in this, but we have to see what has happened.”
He assured that authorities would review their processes while balancing security needs with economic considerations.
According to The Straits Times, the ministry is investigating Amir Hamza, along with others involved in the event, including the organiser.
MHA warned that if they are found to have violated Singapore’s laws or posed a security threat, strong actions will be taken. Possible measures include deportation, prosecution, or detention under the Internal Security Act.
“Amir Hamza’s sermon propagated extremist and segregationist teachings that were dangerous, and detrimental to Singapore’s communal harmony,” the ministry said in a statement to The Straits Times.
According to MHA, Amir Hamza gave the sermon at the Lantana Lodge dormitory in Tech Park Crescent, Tuas, on August 9. He left Singapore the following day, and police received reports on August 12 that he had preached to a group of Bangladeshi migrant workers.
The Straits Times said news of the illegal sermon first surfaced on Reddit on August 12, accompanied by videos showing a man addressing a large crowd within a dormitory. The post expressed concern about how a “radical preacher from Bangladesh was allowed into Singapore undetected and permitted to deliver a speech to hundreds of migrant workers at a dormitory on National Day.”
Shanmugam noted that Amir Hamza had previously delivered sermons that “run down secular values, promote religious intolerance, and disparage non-Muslims.”
In his sermon at the dormitory, he referred to non-Muslims as kafirs (infidels) and praised extremists as models of religious devotion, the minister added.
Amir Hamza is said to have links to Ansar al-Islam, a pro-Al-Qaeda terrorist organisation in Bangladesh.
When The Straits Times asked about potential radicalisation issues within the Bangladeshi migrant worker community in Singapore, Shanmugam emphasised that the community has generally been law-abiding. He noted that since 2015, the Internal Security Department (ISD) has investigated approximately 40 Bangladeshi workers, a small fraction of the roughly 200,000-strong community.
“But we don’t take chances; we continuously work with the different communities, we make it clear to them what is accepted in Singapore, what is not accepted in Singapore, and we will take action against anyone who attacks another race or religion,” he added.
