Noor Deros: Difference between revisions
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Revision as of 15:08, 29 October 2025
Noor Deros | |
|---|---|
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| Education | Bachelor of Arts in Islamic Creed and Philosophy |
| Alma mater | Al-Azhar University |
Noor Deros is a Singaporean-born religious teacher and online influencer currently based in Malaysia. He has drawn public attention in Singapore for his social media posts and political commentary ahead of the 2025 General Election, including attempts to influence voter behaviour among Malay/Muslim Singaporeans.[1]
Early life and education
According to sources, Noor Deros graduated from Al‑Azhar University in Cairo with a Bachelor of Arts in Islamic Creed and Philosophy.[1] His online biography and event listings also state that he was the president of the Singapore students’ welfare association PERKEMAS in Egypt during 2006 to 2007.[2]
Career
Noor Deros appears to have based his work from Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur) in recent years.[1] He has described himself as a religious teacher (ustaz) and has been active on social media, posting in both Malay and English about issues of religion, politics, society and identity.[1]
In 2014, he founded the “Wear White” movement in Singapore, which encouraged Muslims to wear white attire in protest of the annual Pink Dot LGBT advocacy event.[3]
In 2017, he applied to the Asatizah Recognition Board (ARB) in Singapore for accreditation as a religious teacher under the Asatizah Recognition Scheme (ARS), but his application was unsuccessful because he refused to comply with the ARS Code of Ethics.[4]
Recognition and accreditation
Noor Deros is not accredited by Singapore’s ARB as a recognized religious teacher, which means he is not permitted to teach Islam in Singapore under the ARS framework.[4]
Controversy and political involvement
In April 2025, ahead of Singapore’s General Election, Noor Deros published several posts on Facebook and other social media platforms listing demands of political parties and urging Malay/Muslim voters to vote for candidates aligned with his views — including a call to support the Workers' Party (WP) candidates.[1] His demands included reforms relating to the administration of Islam in Singapore, a rejection of LGBTQ+ normalisation, recognition of Palestine, and viewing the United States and Israel as “real masterminds” of terrorism.[1]
In response, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the Elections Department issued a statement on 25 April 2025, warning that foreigners must not direct, fund or in any way influence Singapore’s elections.[3] The ARB also issued a statement warning that referring to Noor Deros as a Singapore-accredited religious teacher is “inaccurate and misleading,” because he has never received accreditation under the ARS.[4]
The WP clarified that while Noor Deros attended one meeting with Malay/Muslim religious leaders, no promises, commitments or agreements were made to any individual including him.[5]
Media coverage
Noor Deros first entered Singapore’s public discourse in 2014 when he founded the “Wear White” movement—an initiative advocating for Muslims to wear white as a form of protest against the annual LGBT rights demonstration, Pink Dot SG. His involvement was covered in the context of race and religion in local commentary.[1][3]
Ahead of the 2025 Singapore General Election, Noor gained renewed media attention after posting a list of demands on his Facebook page addressed to political parties, as well as claiming that he had met with Malay candidates from the opposition Workers' Party (WP). He urged Malays/Muslims to vote for candidates aligned with his religious-political agenda, including the rejection of LGBTQ+ normalisation and the recognition of Palestine. These developments were widely reported by major local news outlets.[1][3]
In response, the Asatizah Recognition Board (ARB) issued a statement declaring that Noor was not accredited under the Singapore Asatizah scheme and therefore not permitted to preach in Singapore. This triggered further media scrutiny on his status as a “religious teacher” and his claims of influence in Singapore’s politics.[4]
Other media pieces highlighted Noor’s attempt to intertwine religion with politics. For example, The Straits Times ran an editorial asserting that Noor’s approach risked undermining social cohesion by advocating race- or religion-based voting behaviour—a scenario that had contributed to past communal unrest.[3]
The dialogue extended to digital media and social platforms: investigations revealed that the Elections Department and Ministry of Home Affairs had flagged certain posts (including those shared by Noor) for foreign interference in Singapore’s elections, raising concerns about external influence in domestic politics.[1]
References/Citations
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Lee, Loraine. “GE2025: Who is Noor Deros, and what has he been saying in his online posts?” Channel NewsAsia, 26 April, 2025.. Accessed 21 October 2025.
- ↑ “Noor Deros” The Singapore LGBT encyclopaedia Wiki. n.d. Accessed 21 October 2025.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Singh, Melvinderpal. “Why we shouldn’t let Noor Deros bring race and religion into politics.” The Straits Times, 26 April, 2025. Accessed 21 October 2025.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Li, Winnie. “Noor Deros, a self-identified religious teacher, not recognised by S’pore’s Asatizah Recognition Board.” Mothership.sg, 26 April, 2025. Accessed 21 October 2025.
- ↑ CNA. "GE2025: Workers' Party clarifies details on meeting involving religious teacher Noor Deros" Youtube, 26 April 2025. Accessed 29 October 2025.