Why some foreign preachers get banned

Singapore is clear on why it bars certain foreign religious preachers from entry, said Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam.

They will be banned if they preach religious intolerance or seek to divide society along religious lines, he said in Parliament yesterday on bans imposed on three foreign preachers last year.

"If he has advocated violence, or promoted segregationist and intolerant teachings that are inimical to our multiracial, multi-religious society, he will not be allowed in," Mr Shanmugam said in his reply to Mr Faisal Manap (Aljunied GRC) and Mr Zaqy Mohamad (Chua Chu Kang GRC).

Such bans can be imposed regardless of the size of the preachers' followings here or whether their comments were made in relation to Singapore.

Any foreigner who wants to talk about sensitive issues on religion, race or politics in Singapore must obtain a Miscellaneous Work Pass from the Manpower Ministry, which will consult other agencies and assess each application on its own merits.

Last year, three foreign Muslim preachers were banned because of their teachings. They were American Muslim Yusuf Estes, Zimbabwean Ismail Menk and Malaysian Haslin Baharim.

They were scheduled to join a spiritual cruise for international passengers from Singapore to Aceh. Mr Estes flew to Banda Aceh to address them.

Mr Shanmugam explained why they should be banned here, even though people can access their teachings online. "Preaching and grandstanding live and in person is quite different a proposition from doing so on the Internet," he said.

Mr Faisal of the Workers' Party asked if they were given a chance to explain themselves before the ban, or to appeal against it. Replying, Mr Shanmugam cited how one of them espoused that Allah was a "false god" and criticised other religions.

"Do you believe we should invite him into Singapore and interview him, or should we ban him outright?" he asked Mr Faisal.