Foreign National Who Protested Quran Recitation Sound in Gili Trawangan Found to Have Overstayed Visa
A New Zealand citizen with the initials ML, who protested against loudspeaker use at a mosque in Gili Trawangan, North Lombok Regency, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), has been taken to the Immigration office. Upon examination, the foreign national was found to have overstayed her visitor visa.
"The individual has been taken to the immigration office for further examination regarding her overstayed residency permit," said the Head of the Criminal Investigation Unit of North Lombok Police, AKP I Komang Wilandra, in a statement on Sunday (22/2/2026).
Wilandra explained that this was based on the results of a joint operation by police officers from the Gili Indah Sub-sector Post in Gili Trawangan and Pemenang Precinct Police, who accompanied Immigration officials when they visited the location to check the foreign woman's status.
When police provided security assistance, ML initially refused to meet with the delegation, but through a careful approach, she eventually agreed to meet the team on the condition that the number of people present was limited.
ML told Immigration officials that her reason for protesting the mosque activities was that she felt disturbed by the loudspeakers used for tadarusan (communal Quran recitation). She considered it a disturbance to her rest time at night.
Officers then provided an explanation regarding local community activities, particularly during the holy month of Ramadan. Tadarusan is a routine act of worship for Muslims. Officers also urged ML to show understanding towards these activities.
ML's actions had gone viral through video recordings circulated on social media. The footage showed a number of local residents attempting to calm ML, who was causing a disturbance at the mosque on Wednesday evening (18/2).
The microphone used by local residents for tadarusan was damaged. A resident's mobile phone that had been recording her actions was also seized by ML.
When a village official visited ML to request the return of the resident's mobile phone, ML refused and threatened the official with a machete.
It was revealed that ML had been staying in Gili Trawangan at the residence of her parents, who had previously been expelled by the local community.
Following the incident, police are now providing security around the mosque and the villa where the foreign national resides.
"The individual has been taken to the immigration office for further examination regarding her overstayed residency permit," said the Head of the Criminal Investigation Unit of North Lombok Police, AKP I Komang Wilandra, in a statement on Sunday (22/2/2026).
Wilandra explained that this was based on the results of a joint operation by police officers from the Gili Indah Sub-sector Post in Gili Trawangan and Pemenang Precinct Police, who accompanied Immigration officials when they visited the location to check the foreign woman's status.
When police provided security assistance, ML initially refused to meet with the delegation, but through a careful approach, she eventually agreed to meet the team on the condition that the number of people present was limited.
ML told Immigration officials that her reason for protesting the mosque activities was that she felt disturbed by the loudspeakers used for tadarusan (communal Quran recitation). She considered it a disturbance to her rest time at night.
Officers then provided an explanation regarding local community activities, particularly during the holy month of Ramadan. Tadarusan is a routine act of worship for Muslims. Officers also urged ML to show understanding towards these activities.
ML's actions had gone viral through video recordings circulated on social media. The footage showed a number of local residents attempting to calm ML, who was causing a disturbance at the mosque on Wednesday evening (18/2).
The microphone used by local residents for tadarusan was damaged. A resident's mobile phone that had been recording her actions was also seized by ML.
When a village official visited ML to request the return of the resident's mobile phone, ML refused and threatened the official with a machete.
It was revealed that ML had been staying in Gili Trawangan at the residence of her parents, who had previously been expelled by the local community.
Following the incident, police are now providing security around the mosque and the villa where the foreign national resides.