Why was Ridhuan Tee invited to begin with? PKR rep asks

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 26 — The Sarawak lawmaker who alerted local authorities to a visit by Ridhuan Tee Abdullah, who was today barred from entering the state, questioned why the controversial writer was even asked to visit.

Pointing out that the writer, known for his provocative and racially-tinged columns, was invited to attend an event organised by a Barisan Nasional (BN) component, Batu Lintang assemblyman See Chee How said this sent the wrong message to the Sarawak public.

“While we welcome the barring of Dr Haji Redhuan Tee Abdullah from entering Sarawak, we are alarmed and regret that this controversial personality was actually coming to the state at the invitation of one of the main BN component party and that he was to be the main speaker in a public ceramah in the chief minister’s constituency,” See told Malay Mail Online.

See did not name the party that he alleged invited Ridhuan.

While lauding Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem for exercising the state’s immigration autonomy to bar entry to “racists, religious bigots and extremists”, See also took the opportunity to criticise the state government’s previous refusal to accept opposition lawmakers.

He claimed that the prerogative to decide who may or may not enter Sarawak has been abused, and urged the state administration to apply the powers in accordance to the Federal Constitution and the Immigration Act.

This morning, Ridhuan was prevented from entering Sarawak by the Immigration Department on orders from Adenan’s office.

“The Immigration Department received an instruction from the Office of the chief minister to prohibit Mohd Ridhuan from entering Sarawak,” Sarawak Immigration deputy director Hamfatullah Syawal Hamdan was quoted as saying by national news agency Bernama.

Bernama also cited an unnamed source as saying that Adenan did not approve of Ridhuan’s visit and ordered the cancellation of the event at which the university lecturer was initially scheduled to speak.

Ridhuan was to be a guest speaker at speak at “Jom Bersantai Sematan 2014-2015” programme in Sematan tonight.

Sarawak and Sabah have autonomy over immigration and are empowered to bar entry to individuals that are deemed not welcome.

Restrictions usually apply to members and leaders of the federal opposition parties in Pakatan Rakyat.

Adenan previously said his administration would blacklist “extremists, religious bigots and racists” to prevent the state from being “infected” by racism and bigotry, following a visit by Perkasa’s Datuk Ibrahim Ali. 

*A previous version of the report inadvertently identified See Chee How as a DAP lawmaker, when he is in fact with PKR. The article has since been corrected.