An Iranian woman and her Malaysian husband are facing deportation from Singapore following accusations by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) that they engaged in activities posing a threat to national security.
The ministry’s announcement on 10 February 2025 cited their involvement with a travel agency allegedly linked to individuals associated with terrorism.
The woman, 38-year-old Parvane Heidaridehkordi, had her long-term visit pass revoked, while her 65-year-old husband, Soo Thean Ling, had his permanent resident status cancelled.
According to MHA, Parvane was involved in operating a Singapore-registered travel agency that reportedly sponsored visa applications for foreigners connected to terrorist organisations. The agency has since been deregistered.
Authorities claim the agency was a front for an operation controlled by a foreign individual based overseas. However, details about this foreign connection and the specific nature of the alleged terrorist links remain undisclosed, raising questions about the transparency of the investigation.
MHA also pointed to Soo’s attempts to register new companies to establish travel businesses after the agency came under investigation. Allegedly, these businesses would have enabled Parvane to continue facilitating the entry of terrorism-linked individuals into Singapore. Both of Soo’s applications were rejected on national security grounds.
As a result, Parvane was declared a prohibited immigrant, and Soo was similarly designated due to his association with her.
MHA stated, “Foreigners in Singapore found to be engaging in activities which pose security risks are liable to have their immigration facilities revoked, and be deported.”
The details provided, however, leave room for interpretation.
While the MHA has labelled their actions a security risk, it has not specified whether the couple were aware of any criminal connections or if they intentionally aided terrorism-linked individuals.
This case follows a broader crackdown on alleged security threats.
On the same day, the Internal Security Department (ISD) announced actions against two Singaporeans and a Malaysian under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for alleged self-radicalisation and support for extremist organisations.
One of the Singaporeans, 18-year-old student Nick Lee Xing Qiu, was detained in December 2024 for allegedly planning attacks in Singapore motivated by far-right extremist ideologies.
The extent of his operational planning, or whether it posed an immediate threat, was not specified.
Meanwhile, 56-year-old housewife Hamizah binte Hamzah received a Restriction Order (RO) in January 2025 due to her alleged support for Islamist militant groups, reportedly influenced by online extremist material.
In a third case, 34-year-old Malaysian cleaner Saharuddin bin Saari was arrested under the ISA in November 2024 for supporting groups including ISIS, HAMAS, and the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades.
He was repatriated to Malaysia after investigations. However, details of his involvement and whether his activities directly threatened Singapore remain vague.
The MHA and ISD emphasised their commitment to addressing security risks through robust enforcement, but concerns about the opacity of evidence and the use of detention orders without trial persist.
Human rights advocates have occasionally criticised Singapore’s reliance on the ISA, which allows detention without public disclosure of evidence, arguing it could be misused against those accused but not proven guilty.
In defending its approach, the government reiterated that it will take decisive action against anyone found to be a threat to national security.
But as with many security-related cases in Singapore, the lack of available information leaves lingering questions about how guilt is assessed and communicated to the public.
