Revealed: New Zealand National Who Rampaged at Gili Trawangan Prayer Hall Found to Have Overstayed Visa

Jakarta, VIVA – A New Zealand national with the initials ML, who staged a protest against the loudspeakers of a prayer hall (musala) on Gili Trawangan, North Lombok Regency, West Nusa Tenggara, has been found to have overstayed her visit visa.

“The individual has been taken to the immigration office for further examination regarding her overstayed residency permit,” said Head of the North Lombok Police Criminal Investigation Unit, AKP I Komang Wilandra, as quoted from ANTARA on Sunday, 22 February 2026.

Wilandra explained that this was established following an escort operation by police officers from the Gili Indah Sub-sector Post on Gili Trawangan, together with the Pemenang Sector Police, accompanying immigration officials who travelled to the location to verify the foreign woman’s status.

When police provided a security escort, ML initially refused to meet 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.

To immigration officials, ML admitted that her reason for protesting the activities at the prayer hall was that she felt disturbed by the loudspeakers used for tadarusan (communal Quran recitation). She considered it a disruption to her rest time during the night.

Officers then provided an explanation regarding the activities of local residents, particularly during the holy month of Ramadan. Tadarusan is part of the routine worship of Muslims. Officers also urged ML to be understanding of these activities.

ML’s actions went 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 prayer hall on Wednesday evening, 18 February 2026.

The microphone used by locals for tadarusan was damaged. A resident’s mobile phone that was seen recording her actions was also seized by ML.

When a local hamlet official visited ML to request the return of the resident’s mobile phone, ML refused and threatened them with a machete.

It has been revealed that ML was staying on Gili Trawangan at the residence of her parents, who had themselves already been expelled by locals.

Following the incident, police are now providing security around the prayer hall and the villa where the foreign woman resides.