KUALA LUMPUR, July 29 ― Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) leader KS Bawani today said she was barred from entering Sarawak and was allegedly told to pay for a new flight ticket for her deportation to Kuala Lumpur.
Bawani, who was then held at the Kuching airport's immigration office, said the entry ban was “ridiculous” as checks with the Immigration Department in Ipoh prior to flying earlier this week showed there was no travel ban on her.
“Actually before I came here, I already checked online whether there is blacklist, they asked me to refer to Immigration. I already referred to Ipoh Immigration, they said my status is clear, can go overseas, no problem.
“Then I came here, they said I can't enter, on Sarawak state government's orders since 2016,” the PSM deputy secretary-general told Malay Mail Online when contacted.
“So now I'm asking, I want to lodge a police report here, they said I cannot enter. They want to deport me back but they ask me to buy ticket, I said I don't have enough money,” she added.
Bawani said she spent a total of around RM400 on her return flight tickets and said that the authorities should be the ones paying for the fresh flight ticket and reimbursing her.
“They asked me to pay, why I need to pay? Because it's their fault. I already checked my status in Ipoh. They say they didn't receive any orders to remove my name, they say this is already since 2016,” she said.
Bawani said she arrived in Kuching airport at 11am and was here to attend her former university mate's wedding, and was only due to fly back to Kuala Lumpur on August 1.
When she tried asking the airport immigration officials for the reason behind the entry ban by the Sarawak state government, Bawani said they were unable to tell her.
“They said you want to know further details, you must go to Putrajaya. Here they cannot give why,” said Bawani, who is also a lawyer.
“I will lodge a police report because that's my right to enter Sabah and Sarawak. They supposed to tell me what's the reason, I'm not a terrorist.”
However, Bawani contacted Malay Mail Online later to say that the authorities will deport her at 2.10pm today and will foot the bill for this flight ticket, confirming that she did not pay for this ticket.
Just minutes before her deportation this afternoon, Bawani confirmed obtaining a letter issued on behalf of Sarawak's immigration director by a Kuching airport immigration official.
In the notice of refusal of entry shown to Malay Mail Online, Bawani was notified that “pursuant to Section 65(1)(a) of the Immigration Act 1959/63, the State Authority has directed that no pass be issued to you to enter the State of Sarawak and such pass is required under the Section 66 for you to enter the State.”
Under Section 65(1)(a), the immigration director of Sabah or Sarawak are to comply with any directions by the respective state authority to not issue any pass to any person or group or to only issue for a specific period or with specific conditions.
Meannwhile, Section 66 requires those who are not east Malaysians or falling within the exceptions to have a pass in order to enter Sabah or Sarawak.
