PUBLISHED ONMarch 27, 2026 5:29 AMBYSean LerMalaysian activist Fadiah Nadwa Fikri has been called an "undesirable visitor" and was denied entry into Singapore for engaging in political activism here, said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
The Malaysian activist, who has a doctorate from the National University of Singapore's (NUS) Southeast Asian Studies department, revealed in a X post on Sunday (March 22) that she was banned from entering the country and was deported to Malaysia.
She also claimed to have asked authorities to provide grounds for her deportation but was told by authorities that the reason(s) could not be disclosed.
Fadiah added that the incident was "stunning" given that she stayed in Singapore for five years and was conferred a doctorate in January.
In response to AsiaOne's queries, MHA said that Fadiah had encouraged students to go beyond protests — to mobilise them and different communities in Singapore and to undertake disruptive and violent action to support specific causes.
It added: "We will not tolerate foreigners getting involved in our domestic politics, nor the promotion of unlawful, violent and disruptive methods of civil protests."
In a follow-up post on Monday, Fadiah said she had intended to visit Singapore to deliver a lecture to her former thesis supervisor's students, adding that she had also planned to collect her books and education certificate.
She described her work as examining the intellectual history of decolonisation and anti-imperialism.
On NUS website, Fadiah is listed as a lawyer and scholar of Southeast Asian studies.
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