Dormitory boss fined for inviting speaker with purported terror links to preach to foreign workers

SINGAPORE: The managing director of a dormitory operator was fined S$7,000 (US$5,400) by a court on Tuesday (Oct 28) over an event he organised, where a preacher with purported terror links gave a sermon expressing ill-will against those who did not share his political and religious ideals to about 600 foreign workers.

Abdus Sattar, a 51-year-old Singaporean, pleaded guilty to one charge each under the Public Order Act and Public Entertainments Act for organising a public assembly to promote the faith of Islam without a permit and for providing public entertainment without a licence. A third charge was taken into consideration.

The court heard that Sattar was the managing director of SBM Electrical & Automation, which operated the foreign worker dormitory Lantana Lodge at Tech Park Crescent.

In July 2024, Sattar sent a text to his acquaintance, Bangladeshi national Amir Hamza who is an extremist Islamic preacher who has been reported to be involved with a pro-Al-Qaeda terrorist organisation operating in Bangladesh, said Deputy Public Prosecutor Sheldon Lim.

Amir Hamza was arrested by the Bangladeshi government in 2021 for his purported terror links, for terrorism-related activities and for inciting militancy, Mr Lim said.

Sattar told Amir Hamza that he was organising a National Day celebration at Lantana Lodge and invited Amir Hamza to come to Singapore to give a sermon and conduct a prayer session for his company and its workers.

Amir Hamza agreed to attend and Sattar made arrangements for him to travel to Singapore, along with Bangladeshi national Ullah Mohammed Neamat, who was to sing Islamic songs at the event.

To promote the event, a digital poster was made that included pictures of Amir Hamza and Ullah, advertising the prayer session on Aug 9, 2024 at Lantana Lodge. The poster, which was approved by Sattar, stated that the event was open to all residents in Singapore.

Sattar demarcated a large outdoor space within the compound of Lantana Lodge for the event. Access to the lodge was not controlled and there were no security guards working on that day as it was a public holiday.

On Aug 9, 2024, Ullah sang to the attendees on stage without a licence to provide public entertainment.

From about 8.15pm to about 10.30pm, Amir Hamza conducted a prayer session and gave a sermon lasting at least 28 minutes.

"During the sermon, Amir Hamza expressed ill-will against those who did not share his political and religious ideals," said Mr Lim. "This posed a risk of extremism and radicalisation among his listening audience."

About 600 foreign workers were at the lodge for the event. Some of them were residents there while others came from other worker dormitories nearby.

A few days after the event, on Aug 12, 2024, the police received an anonymous i-Witness submission form stating that an Islamic extremist preacher previously in prison in Bangladesh was allowed into Singapore and preached "potentially extremist views" to a large group of migrant workers.

By then, Amir Hamza and Ullah had left the country.

The prosecutor sought a fine of S$5,000 for Sattar for the Public Order Act offence and a fine of S$3,000 to S$4,000 for the other charge of providing unlicensed public entertainment.

Mr Lim said Sattar's actions "provided an illegal public platform for a foreign preacher to peddle poisonous rhetoric to a large crowd".

POOR JUDGMENT: DEFENCE

Sattar's lawyer, Mr Khaira Akramjeet Singh, said Sattar had worked his way up and provided jobs for hundreds of employees.

He said Sattar "holds the same values as many of us that race and religion should never be used to politicise a cause or destabilise a country".

Sattar, who has two sons including one serving national service, is "immensely remorseful for his poor judgment", Mr Singh added.

He said that while Sattar recognises that his actions can be deemed as dangerous, his intentions were "in good faith".

"He wanted his Muslim staff to spend the holiday in prayer and reflection ... instead of whiling their time away," said Mr Singh.

He said Sattar had briefly seen a few videos online where Amir Hamza spoke only of prayer, and was admittedly "naive".

Mr Singh said his client "just did not apply his mind" to the regulatory requirements and the permits required.

"When I asked him what he was thinking, he just did not think through what the implications of such a gathering could bring," he said.

He added that the "ordeal of being charged and being criticised online" has put a severe strain on his client and his family.

In response, the prosecutor said Sattar is an experienced businessman and cannot be said to be unfamiliar with Singapore and its regulations.

In sentencing, the judge said the large public assembly of about 600 foreign workers poses a real risk of encouraging religious extremism and intolerance.

For organising a public assembly to publicise a cause, Sattar could have been fined up to S$5,000.

He could have been fined up to S$20,000 for providing public entertainment without a licence.

Separately, Sattar's company was fined S$20,000 for failing to keep and maintain an up-to-date record of visitors entering and leaving the dormitory.