Singapore dorm director fined for holding event where foreigner with alleged terror links preached to workers

SINGAPORE: On National Day 2024, a foreigner with alleged terror links preached to migrant workers at an event within a dormitory, and expressed ill-will towards those who did not share his political and religious ideals.

The dormitory operator’s managing director, Abdus Sattar, was fined S$7,000 on Tuesday (Oct 28), after pleading guilty to one count each of organising a public assembly without a permit and providing public entertainment without a licence.

SBM Electrical & Automation, operator of the dormitory called Lantana Lodge in Tech Park Crescent near Tuas South Avenue 4, was fined $20,000. It was convicted under the Foreign Employee Dormitories Act after it failed to maintain proper records of people entering and leaving the property.

Without revealing details, Deputy Public Prosecutor Sheldon Lim said that Sattar, a 51-year-old Singaporean, was acquainted with the foreigner, Bangladeshi Amir Hamza, who had been reported to be involved with a pro-Al-Qaeda terrorist organisation operating in his home country.

The prosecutor told the court that the Bangladeshi government arrested him in 2021 over his purported terror links, terrorism-related activities and inciting militancy.

In July 2024, Sattar sent a WhatsApp message to Amir, who was in Bangladesh, inviting him to come to Singapore to give a sermon and conduct a prayer session at a Singapore National Day celebration at Lantana Lodge.

Amir agreed, and Sattar proceeded to make arrangements for him and another Bangladeshi, identified as Ullah Mohammed Neamat, to travel here.

A few days before the event, Sattar was handed a digital promotional poster from one of his employees for his approval.

The poster, which featured images of Amir and Ullah, stated that there would be a prayer session at Lantana Lodge on Aug 9, 2024; Amir would be speaking at the event; and Ullah would be singing Islamic songs.

It also said the event was open to all residents in Singapore, said DPP Lim.

Sattar sent the poster to two supervisors of Lantana Lodge, and told the pair to disseminate it to the workers of SBM Electrical & Automation.

Amir and Ullah arrived in Singapore on Aug 9, 2024.

About 600 foreign workers were present at Lantana Lodge between 8pm and 10.30pm that day to listen to them at a large outdoor space within the compound of the lodge. They included residents of the lodge and foreign workers from other dormitories in the vicinity.

The court heard that access to Lantana Lodge was also not controlled that evening, and everyone was allowed to enter. DPP Lim said that there were no security guards working at the lodge at the time as it was a public holiday.

From about 8pm to around 8.15pm, Ullah went on stage, and sang Islamic songs to the attendees.

No licence had been issued to Sattar, authorising him to provide public entertainment at Lantana Lodge that evening.

After the songs, Amir conducted a prayer session and gave a sermon until around 10.30pm.

DPP Lim said: “The sermon was at least 28 minutes long. During the sermon, Amir expressed ill-will against those who did not share his political and religious ideals. This posed a risk of encouraging extremism and radicalisation among his listening audience.”

Amir and Ullah left Singapore the day after the event.

Shortly before 2am on Aug 12, 2024, police received information from an anonymous party stating: “Islamic extremist preacher who was previously in prison in Bangladesh was allowed into Singapore and then allowed to preach potentially extremist views to large group of migrant workers.”

Sattar and SBM Electrical & Automation were later charged in court in March.

On Oct 28, DPP Lim urged the court to sentence Sattar to a fine of up to $9,000.

He said: “The peaceful multiculturalism that we enjoy in Singapore has been painstakingly cultivated, and must not be taken for granted.

“A hefty fine must be imposed upon the accused to punish him for his feckless behaviour.”

Defence lawyer Akram Khaira told the court that Sattar was remorseful for his poor judgment.

The lawyer said that his client is now aware that his actions could be deemed as dangerous, adding: “He wanted his Muslim staff to spend the holiday in prayer and reflection… instead of whiling their time away.”

In an earlier statement, the Ministry of Home Affairs said that Amir’s sermon had propagated extremist and segregationist teachings that were dangerous and detrimental to Singapore’s communal harmony.

Minister for Home Affairs K. Shanmugam told Parliament on Sept 9, 2024, that at the event, Amir suggested non-Muslims were kafirs (infidels), and held up extremists as exemplars of religious piety.

The ministry said that although the Internal Security Department was aware of Amir and his background, the Bangladeshi had used a passport which bore a different name from that in its databases to enter Singapore the same day the event was held.

Shanmugam said Amir’s biometric data was not in the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority’s multi-modal biometric database because it was his first visit to Singapore. – The Straits Times/ANN

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