It's the right of a country to apply its immigration rules: Jakarta

Indonesia acknowledges the sovereignty of every country to implement its immigration rules and exercise its rights to accept or deny entry to foreigners, said a spokesman for Indonesia's Foreign Ministry yesterday.

This was in response to Singapore's recent move to refuse entry to an Indonesian preacher with a history of extremist teachings.

"Based on its prevailing jurisdictions and rules of law, a country can deny entry of someone into its national territory according to various considerations, and the reasons for the measure is not always known," said Dr Teuku Faizasyah in a virtual press briefing.

"As a sovereign nation, Indonesia also has its immigration policies with which we can deny whoever wants to enter Indonesia."

Singapore denied entry to preacher Abdul Somad Batubara and six of his travel companions soon after they arrived from Batam at the Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal on Monday.

A spokesman for Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs said on Tuesday that "Somad has been known to preach extremist and segregationist teachings, which are unacceptable in Singapore's multiracial and multi-religious society". She noted he had preached that suicide bombings are legitimate in the context of the Israel-Palestine conflict, and considered "martyrdom" operations.

He also made comments denigrating worshippers of other faiths, and publicly called non-Muslims "kafirs" or infidels.

The spokesman added that a visitor's entry into Singapore is neither automatic nor a right.

"While Somad had attempted to enter Singapore ostensibly for a social visit, the Singapore Government takes a serious view of any persons who advocate violence and/or espouse extremist and segregationist teachings."

Despite being one of the most popular preachers on the Internet in Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim-majority country, the preacher has drawn public criticism, including from Islamic scholars, for his statements denigrating other faiths.

He had previously been denied entry by Hong Kong and countries like Timor-Leste, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.

Dr Teuku said a country has no obligation to explain why it prohibits foreigners from entering its territory.

Indonesia's Foreign Ministry said its embassy in Singapore had inquired with Singapore's Immigration and Checkpoints Authority about the refusal of entry, and was told it was due to ineligibility "for the issue of a pass under current immigration policies".