SINGAPORE: Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam confirmed that a photograph of controversial Bangladeshi preacher Amir Hamza was submitted with his visa application to enter Singapore.

The Minister noted that visa applications typically require photographs, which are cross-checked against the watchlist. However, the effectiveness of this process depends on the quality of the photograph and the information available in the database.

During a Parliamentary session on Monday (9 Sept), Minister Shanmugam responded to a supplementary question from Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh, explaining that while Singapore’s systems are advanced and capable of identifying broad matches, it cannot be assumed that every individual on the watchlist has a photograph on file.

He said, “it depends on the type of photograph that is submitted, and the quality of the photograph, it may not always pick up against the database that we have.

The Minister noted that some Members of Parliament might assume Singapore’s authorities have photographs of all individuals listed on the watchlist.

He clarified, “No country in the world has such a comprehensive set of data on all potential persons who might have to be excluded sometimes we will only have names without photographs.”

“As for the ability to cross check, my understanding is that our systems are very advanced, and if there is a broad match in the photographs they were epiced up. ”

“But the question assumes that we had a photograph to cross check against, ” Mr Shanmugam added.

Mr Singh, who is also an MP for Aljunied GRC, asked if a photograph had been submitted with Amir Hamza’s visa application and whether there was a system to cross-check it against the watchlist.

He also inquired if there were plans to improve the process, especially for identifying individuals on a watchlist who pose a higher security risk compared to regular travelers.

Dormitory Operator Under Investigation for Violations of Public Order and Employment Laws

In response to PQs filed by MPs, Minister Shanmugam noted that Amir Hamza was invited by a dormitory operator and entered Singapore on 9 August 2024.

On the same day, he preached to a group of Bangladeshi migrant workers at a dormitory without a permit, which was unlawful.

During his sermon, Hamza made extremist and divisive statements, and he left Singapore the following day.

Despite being on the Internal Security Department’s (ISD) watch list for promoting religious intolerance, Hamza entered Singapore using a different passport name that was not flagged in the system.

Since it was his first visit, his biometrics were not yet on record, allowing him to bypass security checks.

If he attempts to re-enter, his biometrics will now be detecte, added Minister Shanmugam.

The Minister highlighted several security measures in place, including pre-arrival risk assessments, biometric systems, and watchlist screenings.

While the system is robust, he said with approximately 2,500 visitors refused entry each month, he acknowledged that it is not foolproof, and a small number of individuals may slip through.

He affirmed that investigations are ongoing regarding Hamza’s case, and the dormitory operator is being investigated for several offenses, including violations under the Public Order Act and the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act.

Extremist Teachings and Security Concerns

In a press release on 21 August, the MHA detailed the content of Amir Hamza’s 9 August sermon.

The sermon, which occurred on Singapore’s National Day, involved Amir Hamza calling non-Muslims “kafir” – a term meaning infidels – and asserting that practising Muslims were superior to non-Muslims.

Additionally, he praised several leaders of Jamaat e-Islami, a banned Islamist party in Bangladesh known for its involvement in terrorist activities, holding them up as examples of religious piety.

Amir Hamza’s sermon also took on a political tone, as he labeled the previous Bangladeshi government led by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as “oppressors.”

He claimed that this government had sentenced to death those who opposed them and asserted that “victory will come when Bangladesh becomes an Islamic country.”

Amir Hamza has been a figure of concern for authorities in Bangladesh due to his alleged extremist teachings and connections to terrorist activities.

The MHA stated that he has promoted religious intolerance, hatred, and violence in his sermons. He is also alleged to be an influential figure in Ansar al-Islam (AAI), a pro-Al-Qaeda terrorist organisation operating in Bangladesh.

In 2021, Amir Hamza was arrested in Bangladesh for his alleged involvement in terror-related activities and inciting militancy. He was released on bail in December 2023 while awaiting trial.

The MHA also noted that Amir Hamza’s speeches have allegedly influenced an AAI-linked terror suspect in Bangladesh who planned to attack the Bangladesh parliament.

TAIPEI, TAIWAN — Taiwan will unveil its first domestically built submarine on Thursday, with the massively outgunned island seeking to bolster its defences against China.

China claims self-ruled Taiwan as its territory, and has in the past year stepped up military and political pressure, ramping up the number of warplane incursions around the island while diplomatically isolating it.

Taiwan has increased defence spending — allotting a record US$19 billion for 2024 — to acquire military equipment, particularly from its key ally the United States, but its quest to obtain a submarine has faced obstacles.

President Tsai Ing-wen — strongly opposed by Beijing for her refusal to accept China’s authority over the island — launched a submarine programme in 2016 with the aim of delivering a fleet of eight vessels.

Construction on the first started in 2020 by the island’s CSBC Corporation, a company specialising in container ships and military vessels, and it will be unveiled by Tsai in the southern port city of Kaohsiung.

Carrying a price tag of US$1.5 billion, the submarine’s displacement weight is about 2,500 to 3,000 tons, with its combat systems and torpedoes sourced from the US defence company Lockheed Martin.

“The submarine will have a fairly significant impact on Taiwan’s defence strategy,” said Ben Lewis, a US-based independent analyst who focuses on the Chinese military’s movements around the island.

“The biggest risk is to the PLA’s (People’s Liberation Army’s) amphibious assault and troop transport capabilities,” he told AFP, referring to China’s military.

“They have practised extensively the use of civilian vessels to augment their existing troop delivery platforms, and a submarine could wreak havoc on vessels not designed for naval warfare.”

The submarine will still need at least three years to become operational, said Zivon Wang, a military analyst at Taipei-based think tank the Chinese Council of Advanced Policy Studies.

“The launch… does not mean that Taiwan will become very powerful right away but it is a crucial element of Taiwan’s defence strategy and a part of our efforts to build deterrence capabilities.”

China’s state-run Global Times on Monday published an op-ed saying Taiwan’s submarine deployment plan to block the PLA was “daydreaming”.

“The plan is just an illusion of the island attempting to resist reunification by force,” it said.

Last week, China flew 103 warplanes around Taiwan, which the island’s defence ministry said was among the highest in recently recorded incursions, decrying the “destructive unilateral actions”.

Beijing has also sent reconnaissance drones to the eastern side of Taiwan — a move that analysts have said could spell trouble for the island’s military bases there.

— AFP