M’sian activist-lawyer denied entry over political activism, says S’pore

2026-03-27 - 04:20

Fadiah Nadwa Fikri was a student at NUS’s Southeast Asian Studies department and received her PhD in January. PETALING JAYA: Singapore’s home ministry says it denied entry to a Malaysian activist-lawyer for alleged involvement in domestic political advocacy. In an email reply to FMT’s queries, the ministry said that Fadiah Nadwa Fikri, who had studied in the republic, was engaged in local political activism and encouraged youths to “adopt her brand of radical advocacy”. It claimed that she encouraged youths to go beyond protests “to mobilise students and different communities in Singapore”, and to undertake “disruptive and violent actions to support specific causes”. “We will not tolerate foreigners getting involved in our domestic politics, or the promotion of unlawful, violent and disruptive methods of civil protest. “Fadiah is an undesirable visitor, and we have thus denied her entry into our country,” the ministry said. In an X posting on Sunday, Fadiah claimed that she had been deported to Malaysia by Singaporean immigration authorities at Woodlands. She said she asked for the reasons behind the decision, but was told they could not be disclosed. A purported Immigration and Checkpoints Authority notice which she shared online stated that she was “ineligible for the issue of a pass under current immigration policies”. Fadiah is a member of Lawyers for Liberty and the Center to Combat Corruption and Cronyism, and has been active in pro-Palestinian advocacy. According to the university’s website, she was a student at the National University of Singapore’s Southeast Asian Studies department. She received her PhD in January.