Singapore: Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) recently confirmed that Indonesian academic, Muhammad Zulfikar Rakhmat, underwent interviews and checks upon his arrival at Changi Airport in 2023. The MHA stated that Rakhmat had drawn security attention due to his online support for the Islamic State. Despite the scrutiny, he was allowed to board an outgoing flight the next day after both instances.
The first incident occurred in February 2023 when Rakhmat and his wife were transiting through Singapore from South Korea to Indonesia. He was detained at immigration, questioned about his background, travel history in the Middle East, and his academic and journalist work. Rakhmat claimed that his phone was confiscated and inspected during this interrogation. A similar incident took place in September 2023 when he was flying from South Korea to Indonesia.
Rakhmat, who serves as the director of the Indonesia-Middle East and North Africa desk at the Centre for Economic and Law Studies (CELIOS) in Jakarta, is also a research affiliate at the Middle East Institute of the National University of Singapore (NUS). He holds an honorary position in the NUS research department and is described as a research professor at the Busan University of Foreign Studies. His work has been published in various reputable publications such as The Diplomat, Asia Sentinel, and The Conversation.
