Viral Instagram Post Sheds Light on Detention Experience and Questions Decision by Singapore
Abdul Somad, a popular Indonesian preacher, was denied entry into Singapore, prompting a viral Instagram post regarding his ‘deportation’ from the nation. The post amassed over 150,000 likes and featured claims that while awaiting deportation, he was confined in a “jail-like” immigration detention room.
Although his followers expressed outrage, the religious figure did not pursue the deportation issue further on social media, aside from the post documenting his detention.
In his Instagram post, Abdul Somad wrote, “In the 1×2 meter room (it) is like a prison at immigration, before being deported from Singapore. For the complete news, tune in to tomorrow’s UAS interview, Tuesday, May 17, 2022, only on the channel: hai guys official.”
In another post, he stated that the shopping funds for his trip to Singapore would be redirected as Waqf (Donation) for the development of an Islamic boarding school.
Abdul Somad mentioned that his purpose for visiting Singapore was to enjoy leisure activities, “to eat, stay, shop, and contribute to Singapore’s economy.”
“However, Singapore ultimately rejected me. We may not need to spend our money shopping there; instead, we can channel those funds into waqf for the completion of the Nurul Azhar Islamic Boarding School & Preschool and the Nurul Azhar Kindergarten Foundation for the People’s Waqf Fund.
“Father, mother, brother, and sister, if you wish to participate in waqf for the project’s completion, please transfer the waqf to the following account.”
As of the time of publication, the post had garnered over 15,000 likes on Instagram, underscoring his popularity.
The preacher expressed that he was not informed of the reasons behind his rejection from the ‘Little Red Dot’ but insisted he had all required documentation for his visit.
Abdul Somad criticized the Singaporean government openly, demanding an explanation for his rejection. Reports indicated that he, along with family and friends, boarded a ferry from Batam to Singapore on Monday.
Upon arrival, they were held for three hours at Singapore’s Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal before immigration officials instructed them to return to Indonesia.
The Indonesian Embassy in Singapore denied the assertion that the preacher was deported, clarifying that he never cleared immigration and was subjected to a ‘not to land’ directive as he did not meet the criteria for visiting Singapore.
The article “Deported preacher wants to know why he was rejected by the ‘Little Red Dot’” first appeared in The Independent News.
