Embassy Releases Statement After Abdul Somad Refused Entry to Singapore

TheIndonesia.co - The Indonesian Embassy in Singapore has released an official statement after renowned Islamic preacher Abdul Somad was refused entry to Singapore, noting that the Indonesian government is communicating with its Singaporean counterpart in order to get the full explanation on this incident.

According to the release, the Embassy immediately requested information to immigration authorities in Singapore on the reason behind the refusal of entry.

“After receiving information about refusal from Singapore’s Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) to an Indonesian citizen with initial ASB [Abdul Somad Batubara] alongside his group, the Indonesian Embassy in Singapore started communicating with ICA to ask for the reason of refusal,” the statement, dated on May 17, read.

And based on the communication, ICA could confirm to the Embassy that “refusal on entry was based on [the subject] being ineligible for the issue of a pass under current immigration policies” and that “the refusal was imposed on ASB and six members in his group”.

It was also revealed that the Embassy had sent a diplomatic note to Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to get more information on the refusal, and is currently waiting for a response from the Ministry.

Previously, Somad shared on his social media account that he was deported from Singapore, and the news spread quickly in Indonesia.

Prior to the written statement from the Embassy, Immigration Office in Batam also confirmed that Abdul Somad had completed all required documents prior to leaving Indonesia for Singapore.

“For the departure, immigration documents brought by UAS [Ustaz Abdul Somad] were complete. There was no issue prior to the departure from Batam to Singapore,” chief of Class I Immigration Office Batam Subki Miuldi said on Tuesday.

Miuldi also revealed that the preacher departed alongside a small group who were assumed to be his family members, and they traveled with a ferry from Batam Centre to Tanah Merah, Singapore.