Singapore Blocks Malaysian Scholar Fadiah Nadwa Fikri

Singapore has denied entry to a PhD graduate after immigration authorities deemed her an “undesirable visitor,” citing concerns over her alleged encouragement of disruptive actions related to social causes. The woman, identified as Fadiah, described the experience as “extremely distressing and outrageous.”

PhD Graduate Denied Entry to Singapore

Fadiah gained attention after posting a photo on social media of a notice refusing her entry, issued on Sunday. The document stated she was “ineligible for the issue of a pass under current immigration policies.”

She had planned to visit Singapore to collect her PhD degree certificate from the National University of Singapore, which she obtained in January. Fadiah also intended to deliver a guest lecture on her thesis, cat-sit for a friend, and retrieve her books.

According to Fadiah, immigration authorities declined to provide a specific reason for the ban. However, the Ministry of Home Affairs stated that she had encouraged youths in Singapore to “go beyond protests” and “undertake disruptive and violent actions to support specific causes.”

“We will not tolerate foreigners getting involved in our domestic politics, nor the promotion of unlawful, violent and disruptive methods of civil protest,” the ministry said. “Fadiah is an undesirable visitor, and we have thus denied her entry into our country.”

Singapore maintains strict regulations regarding public gatherings, requiring a police permit for any event intended to promote a cause. The government argues these rules are necessary to maintain peace and harmony, while critics contend they stifle freedom of expression and civil activism.

In 2024, authorities charged three women with organizing an illegal procession after a pro-Palestinian march, though they were later acquitted by the court. Last year, Singapore refused entry to Nathan Law, a Hong Kong pro-democracy activist living in exile in the UK, who was invited to a closed-door conference.