Dormitory director fined S$7,000 for hosting preacher with alleged terror links at workers’ event

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

Abdus Sattar, a 51-year-old Singaporean, pleaded guilty to one charge each under the Public Order Act and the 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.

Event at Lantana Lodge

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

In July 2024, he invited his acquaintance, Bangladeshi national Amir Hamza — an extremist preacher allegedly linked to a pro-Al-Qaeda terrorist organisation in Bangladesh — to lead a sermon during a National Day celebration held at the dormitory.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Sheldon Lim told the court that Amir Hamza had previously been arrested by Bangladeshi authorities in 2021 for terrorism-related activities and inciting militancy.

Despite this, Sattar arranged for Amir Hamza and another Bangladeshi national, Ullah Mohammed Neamat, to travel to Singapore for the event. Ullah was scheduled to perform Islamic songs during the celebration.

A digital poster advertising the event featured photographs of both men and announced a prayer session on 9 August 2024 at Lantana Lodge. It also stated that the event was open to all residents in Singapore.

Unlicensed Gathering and Sermon Content

Sattar designated a large outdoor space within the dormitory compound for the gathering. Access to the lodge was left uncontrolled, and no security personnel were deployed as it was a public holiday.

During the event, Ullah performed on stage without a public entertainment licence. Later, from around 8.15pm to 10.30pm, Amir Hamza led a prayer session and delivered a 28-minute sermon.

In his sermon, Amir Hamza referred to non-Muslims as “kafir” — meaning infidels — and claimed that practising Muslims were superior to non-Muslims. He also praised leaders of Jamaat e-Islami, a banned Islamist party in Bangladesh known for its terrorist links, describing them as examples of religious devotion.

Amir Hamza’s speech also took a political turn. He labelled the former Bangladeshi government led by ex-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as “oppressors”, alleging that it had sentenced to death those who opposed it. He further claimed that “victory will come when Bangladesh becomes an Islamic country.”

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

Approximately 600 foreign workers attended the event — including residents from Lantana Lodge and nearby dormitories.

A few days later, on 12 August 2024, police received an anonymous i-Witness report alleging that a Bangladeshi preacher with extremist ties had been allowed into Singapore to deliver “potentially extremist views” to a large group of migrant workers. By that time, both Amir Hamza and Ullah had already left the country.

Court Proceedings and Sentencing

The prosecution sought a fine of S$5,000 for the Public Order Act offence and between S$3,000 and S$4,000 for providing unlicensed public entertainment.

Lim argued that Sattar’s actions “provided an illegal public platform for a foreign preacher to peddle poisonous rhetoric to a large crowd.”

Defence lawyer Khaira Akramjeet Singh said Sattar had risen from humble beginnings, employing hundreds through his company, and emphasised that his client “holds the same values as many of us — that race and religion should never be used to politicise a cause or destabilise a country.”

He added that Sattar, who has two sons including one serving national service, was “immensely remorseful for his poor judgment.”

Singh said Sattar’s intentions had been “in good faith,” as he wanted his Muslim staff to spend the public holiday “in prayer and reflection instead of whiling their time away.”

He added that Sattar had only seen a few videos online where Amir Hamza spoke about prayer and was admittedly “naive”.

Singh said his client “just did not apply his mind” to the regulatory requirements and 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” had put a severe strain on his client and his family.

In response, the prosecutor maintained that Sattar, as an experienced businessman, could not claim ignorance of Singapore’s regulations.

The judge noted that the large public assembly of about 600 foreign workers posed a genuine 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, while the offence of providing public entertainment without a licence carried a maximum fine of S$20,000.

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.

Amir Hamza Entered Singapore Using Different Passport Name

In a parliamentary sitting in September 2024, Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam confirmed that a photograph of Amir Hamza had been 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.

Despite being on the Internal Security Department’s (ISD) watchlist 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 detected,” said Shanmugam, adding that multiple security measures — including pre-arrival risk assessments, biometric systems, and watchlist screenings — are in place to prevent similar incidents in future.