Response from the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority of Singapore to a letter entitled "It doesn't pay to play dirty" which was published in the New Straits Times' Letters section on 6 December 2014

Dear Editor

I refer to the letter “It doesn’t pay to play dirty” written by Mohd Ghazali Osman and published in the Letters Section of the New Straits Times on 6 December 2014.

As with all countries, the entry of a visitor to Singapore is subject to prevailing immigration policies. The vast majority of visitors to Singapore are allowed entry after the appropriate immigration checks.

About 280,000 travellers arrive at our air, land and sea checkpoints daily. Some travellers are turned back because they do not have travel documents or their travel documents are not in order, or because they have adverse records with our enforcement agencies.

We welcome visitors of all nationalities to enjoy sports events in Singapore. Maintaining a conducive atmosphere for fans to enjoy sports events includes minimising the likelihood of such events being marred by untoward incidents which may be caused by a small minority.

The accounts and allegations by various quarters in Malaysia of massive numbers of Malaysian football fans being turned away for the AFF Suzuki Cup match between Singapore and Malaysia on 29 November 2014 are grossly exaggerated and inaccurate. Only two were turned away at the land checkpoints and one at the airport during the period of the Suzuki Cup, because of known past bad behaviour at football games.

Superintendent Chia Hui Keng

Deputy Director of Corporate Communications Division

Immigration & Checkpoints Authority of Singapore