Ridhuan
Many applaud denial of entry for the extremist, but the question now is who extended the invitation
KUCHING: Sarawak barred the entry of Dr Mohd Ridhuan Tee Abdullah here yesterday, but this move has raised another question – who invited the controversial academician in the first place?
The state Immigration Department, in a statement to Bernama, confirmed that Ridhuan was denied entry into the state yesterday, adding that the directive had come from the Chief Minister’s Office.
Land Development Minister cum PRS president Tan Sri Dr James Masing believed it was a wise decision on the state government’s part to bar bigots like Ridhuan from entering the state.
“Sarawak cannot afford, nor should it tolerate people with extreme social, political, or religious views. We have been living in peace over the years not by chance, but by design. Therefore, no bigots should be allowed to disrupt such peace,” he told The Borneo Post yesterday.
Masing also believed many Sarawakians knew of Ridhuan and his thoughts on certain issues – which had not been well accepted by many here.
However, he was intrigued as to who in Sarawak had invited Ridhuan to come and lecture its people on his thoughts.
“Whoever the person or group is, they are akin to ‘sleeper/cell’, or potential troublemakers set out to disturb social and religious peace of this country.
“I hope this group would cease inviting bigots like Ridhuan to Sarawak. Whatever their intention is, it is not good for Sarawak. I urge the relevant authorities to track this group, reminding them never to do it again,” Masing stressed.
In a similar sentiment, state PKR vice chairman See Chee How, who alerted the state government to Ridhuan’s scheduled entry, also expressed his concern.
“While we welcome the barring of Ridhuan from entering Sarawak, we are also alarmed by it. We regret to find out that this controversial personality was actually coming to the state at the invitation of one of the key Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties and that he was to be the main speaker at a public ceramah (talk) in the Chief Minister’s constituency (Tanjung Datu).”
Ridhuan, a senior lecturer at the National Defence University and also a columnist ‘infamously’ known for making numerous controversial statements, was invited to speak at Masjid Daerah Kecil Sematan, as part of the Jom Bersantai Sematan programme running from Dec 26 to 31.
A report by Utusan Sarawak said the event was organised by PBB Tanjung Datu and Sematan Sub-District Office.
See said while PKR was all-out in backing Adenan and the state government in banning racists, religious bigots, and extremists from coming to Sarawak, it was also against the abuse of such prerogative.
The Batu Lintang assemblyman took the opportunity to call on the state government to reveal the ‘blacklist’ – comprising those deemed to be ‘extremists, racists and religious bigots’ – to minimise any abuse of the state’s prerogative powers.
Meanwhile, Assistant Minister in Chief Minister’s Office (Islamic Affairs) Datuk Daud Abdul Rahman said Ridhuan was denied entry because his politics was extreme in nature and his presence would cause uneasiness among non-Muslims.
“It is better we prohibit him from coming in because he is bringing the Peninsular Malaysian political culture of extremism, which can disrupt the racial and religious harmony in Sarawak.”
Daud acknowledged that Sarawakians had been living in peace and harmony, despite being made up of so many ethnic groups.
This understanding, he stressed, was what the state wanted to safeguard by not allowing the situation to be disrupted by elements from outside.
Daud said that the state government also decided to deny Ridhuan entry for fear he would influence the local Muslim community with his ideology.
“As far as we are concerned, we will not allow Muslims or non-Muslims from outside to enter the state if we feel that their presence would cause disharmony among the people here,” said Daud, stressing that those who had been barred from entering the state were mostly extremists.
Santubong MP Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar echoed Daud’s comments, saying, “We, in Sarawak, could not entertain extreme views, whether they are religious, racial, or political in nature.
“It is always better to avoid this kind of extremism from coming to the shores of Sarawak. We are a model of religious, racial and political harmony and we do not want to be disrupted through slanted views of outsiders,” said the Deputy Home Affairs Minister.