S'pore rejects hundreds of Indonesians

INDONESIA: More than 300 Indonesians have been denied entry to Singapore and Malaysia via Batam in Riau province since January, amid rising fears of terrorist attacks in the two neighboring countries, a local immigration official said on Saturday.

Wachdijat, a senior official at the Batam immigration office, said a total of 307 Indonesians were refused entry to Malaysia and Singapore due to concerns that they could pose a security threat.

He did not rule out the possibility that the refusal was related to recent statements made by former Singapore prime minister Lee Kuan Yew that his country remained vulnerable to terror attacks because terrorist leaders still roamed freely in Indonesia.

Lee's statement has soured bilateral relations between Singapore and Indonesia.

Wachdijat said the Indonesians in question had no clear purpose to travel to Singapore and Malaysia, which have tightened security against incoming foreign citizens.

The refusal of Malaysia's authorities to allow 48 Indonesians to enter their country followed a recent riot blamed on Indonesian illegal workers.

The unrest prompted Kuala Lumpur to tighten control over Indonesian passport holders intending to come to Malaysia to seek employment. -- JP