KUALA LUMPUR, April 16 ― Kluang MP Liew Chin Tong was blocked from entering Sarawak this afternoon, just hours after two of his party colleagues from the DAP ― secretary general Lim Guan Eng and Penang state executive councillor Chow Kon Yeow ― were allowed in.
On Facebook, DAP organ Roketkini said in a brief news flash that Liew was made to return to Kuala Lumpur on a 3.10pm flight after being turned away by immigration at the Kuching airport.
Liew took to the social media network as well to post videos, one of him issuing a statement on the travel ban and another of him, trolley-bag in hand, speaking to an official at an immigration counter, before walking away with another official.
“At Sibu airport, I was informed by the immigration officers that I have been banned from entering Sarawak. I requested to see a written notice of the order.
“You can ban some of us from entering Sarawak, Adenan, but you can’t stop the election campaign and the people’s movement,” the lawmaker wrote in the two postings on his Facebook page.
Earlier this morning, Lim and Chow made it past Sarawak’s immigration without trouble, although they expected to join other opposition leaders in the state’s travel blacklist.
Lim had yesterday announced plans to fly into Sarawak today to see if he would be blocked from entering the state.
H
e said this after Penang excos Dr Afif Bahardin and Datuk Abdul Malik Kassim were stopped earlier this week by the state’s immigration authorities.
Other Pakatan Harapan leaders who have been blocked from entering Sarawak include DAP’s Anthony Loke, Teresa Kok, Tony Pua, Teo Nie Ching, PKR’s Nurul Izzah Anwar, Chua Tian Chang, Shamsul Iskandar, Zuraida Kamaruddin, Sim Sze Tsin and Amanah’s Mohamad Sabu.
Despite criticism over the travel ban on opposition leaders, Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem recently insisted that the ban was justified as it was to protect Sarawak fro unsavoury elements.
He also said the ban would be lifted after the state elections.
Nominations for Sarawak’s 11th state elections has been set for April 25 while polling will take place on May 7.
