SINGAPORE — Indonesian Islamic preacher Ustaz Abdul Somad was not deported from Singapore, contrary to his claims, said Indonesian Ambassador to Singapore Suryopratomo.
"He was not deported but did not get a permit to enter Singapore so he was asked to return (to Indonesia)," Suryopratomo reportedly told Indonesian news site Tempo on Tuesday (17 May).
Suryopratomo did not elaborate why the popular preacher did not receive permission from the Singapore authorities.
“The exact reason, perhaps, can be asked to the Singapore Embassy in Jakarta because they are more entitled to explain the reason,” he added, according to the Tempo report.
The preacher, who is also known as UAS and turns 44 on Wednesday, claimed that he was detained in Singapore while awaiting deportation, the report said.
In 2019, the preacher was being investigated by Indonesian police after two local organisations accused him of committing blasphemy against Christianity based on a video of his sermon several years earlier. The preacher had refused to apologise for his remarks, claiming that they were aligned with Islamic teachings, according to a report by Tempo.
Yahoo News Singapore has reached out to the Ministry of Home Affairs for comments on the matter.
https://sg.news.yahoo.com/indonesian-preacher-permit-enter-singapore-ambassador-103858364.html
