We are ‘peace-loving people’: Singapore Bangladesh Society shocked, upset by extremist preacher’s sermon

SINGAPORE: A Bangladeshi extremist preacher who delivered an illegal sermon to migrant workers in Singapore has shocked the Bangladesh Society, said its general secretary on Friday (Aug 23).

The preacher, Amir Hamza, had entered Singapore using a passport with a name that was different from what was in the country’s security databases, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said on Wednesday.

His sermon “propagated extremist and segregationist teachings that were dangerous and detrimental to Singapore’s communal harmony”, added MHA.

He preached to migrant workers at the Lantana Lodge dormitory in Tuas on Aug 9.

The general secretary of the Singapore Bangladesh Society, who did not want to be named, called the incident “upsetting” and told CNA that those coming from their home country are “peace-loving people”.

The society is a non-profit organisation aimed at promoting mutual understanding between Singaporeans and Bangladeshis. 

“They want to do their jobs and at the end of (the day) go back to their dormitories. They want to live a peaceful life here in Singapore,” he said.

The general secretary, who has been with the society for 17 years, added that Bangladeshis in Singapore mostly do not want to be involved in controversial discussions. At the same time, he acknowledged that they may not know what can go wrong.

“Maybe there are 10 people going, so (they think) okay I will also follow. They probably don’t know the consequences,” he added.

On Wednesday night, the society issued an advisory on Facebook and WhatsApp to its over 700 members, urging those who attended the sermon to not get “carried away with the messages from such irresponsible speakers and end up getting into trouble here”.

“Those worker brothers who had attended Amir Hamzah’s speech should not be carried away and react adversely,” said the society.

“They should not try to participate in any acts in Singapore that could affect the safety and harmony of Singapore.

“All Bangladeshi workers are also reminded to abide by the laws of Singapore and not to bring into Singapore any issues that are occurring back in Bangladesh or other countries,” the advisory read. 

More than 450 people were killed during the weeks of protests leading up to the ouster of former Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Aug 5.