Singapore has denied entry to Malaysian scholar Fadiah Nadwa Fikri, labeling her an 'undesirable visitor' and alleging she encouraged radical advocacy among youths, according to the country's home ministry. Fadiah Nadwa Fikri was deported back to Malaysia after being barred, she said. Fadiah Nadwa Fikri, who stayed in Singapore for five years and was conferred a doctoral degree on 31 January, argued her deportation was tantamount to a deliberate attack on her scholarly work on decolonisation and anti-imperialism.
She was visiting Singapore at the invitation of her former supervisor to deliver a guest lecture and collect her degree certificate, and she is an advocate for the Palestinian cause. Fadiah Nadwa Fikri has been a member of the Malaysian legal rights advocacy group Lawyers for Liberty and the Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism. Singapore's home ministry said it will not tolerate foreigners getting involved in domestic politics or promoting unlawful, violent, and disruptive methods of civil protest.
It's stunning because I stayed there for five years and was conferred a doctoral degree on 31 January.
Singapore enforces strict restrictions on protests, requiring a police permit for any public gathering to promote a cause. In 2024, Singaporean authorities charged three women with organising an illegal procession after they staged a pro-Palestinian march, and they were later acquitted by a court. Fadiah Nadwa Fikri sought an explanation for her deportation but was told the reasons could not be disclosed.
She has reportedly been investigated in the past for alleged sedition and improper use of network facilities related to a demonstration against Muhyiddin Yassin's appointment as prime minister. It remains unclear what specific actions or statements by Fadiah Nadwa Fikri led Singapore to deem her an 'undesirable visitor,' and the evidence behind the ministry's claims has not been publicly detailed.
Fadiah is an undesirable visitor and we have thus denied her entry into our country.