Controversial M’sian columnist claims he was barred from entering Singapore

SINGAPORE — Malaysian columnist Ridhuan Tee Abdullah is claiming he was “treated like a terrorist” recently when he tried to enter Singapore and was later barred from entry by the authorities.

Writing in the Malay-language daily Sinar Harian, Dr Ridhuan Tee Abdullah, who is a Chinese Muslim convert, claimed that his photograph and thumb-print were taken at Singapore’s land checkpoint at Woodlands when he and a friend were going there on “personal business”. No reason was given for the refusal of entry, the Malay Mail Online reported him as saying.

In response to the incident, Singapore’s Immigration & Checkpoints Authority told TODAY that as a matter of policy, it does not comment on individual cases for reasons of confidentiality.

It added: “A visitor’s entry into Singapore is neither automatic nor a right. Each case is assessed on its own merits. Visitors must fulfil our entry requirements before they can be considered for entry. Those who are ineligible for a Visit Pass will be refused entry.”

In his column titled Know the True Enemies of Islam, Dr Ridhuan Tee said he had to undergo “more than two hours of questioning” at Singapore’s checkpoint.

“I received a letter saying I was not allowed to go there. There was no reason given,” he added.

The academic has been known to frequently criticise the Chinese minority in Malaysia, labelling them as “racist” and “ultra kiasu”, and for not showing gratitude towards the Barisan Nasional (BN) government, The Malay Mail Online reported.

In a previous column with Sinar Harian, he also chided non-Malays in Malaysia, saying he was “flabbergasted” by some of them and their ingratitude towards the freedom and tolerance they have enjoyed, dismissing a news report that non-Muslims were the country’s biggest taxpayers and telling the group that five million immigrants were ready to take their place.

In previous years, Dr Ridhuan has been the subject of news headlines for his comments on political and race issues. In 2013, his column published in national daily Utusan Malaysia, on how Malaysia should have waged war with Singapore decades ago, prompted BN leaders to lash out at the newspaper and at the columnist’s “potentially damaging remarks” that could “sour ties with Singapore”.

In his latest column, Dr Ridhuan continued along these racial and political lines, alleging that Malays in Singapore were not given decision-making positions or posts in the police, immigration or army.

He stated that it was “no loss” that he was unable to go to Singapore, a point he also made when he was refused entry to Sarawak in 2014.

Back then, the Sarawak Chief Minister’s Office issued a directive disallowing the controversial speaker from going to Kuching, where he was scheduled to give a religious talk at a mosque.

Malaysian media outlets reported that Sarawak has been prohibiting the entry of several opposition political party leaders from entering the state. Its Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem said earlier this month that the authorities would expand the list of Malaysians they wanted barred from entering the state, which includes “hardline religious personalities”, The Malaysian Insider reported.