Abang Johari (fifth right) in a group photo with Leben (fifth left) and a team from the Immigration Department who come for a courtesy visit to the Chief Minister’s Office. — Photo by Chimon Upon
KUCHING: The state government has barred convicted serial rapist Selva Kumar Subbiah from entering Sarawak.
Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg said the ban came into force yesterday.
“He is banned due to his background,” he briefly told The Borneo Post after receiving courtesy calls from several organisations at his office in Wisma Bapa here.
Sarawak is the second state to impose the ban after Sabah following the man’s return to Malaysia from Canada on Tuesday after serving a 24-year jail sentence for sexually assaulting some 1,000 women in Toronto, Canada.
State Immigration Department director Ken Leben also confirmed that the ban would be imposed immediately on Selva Kumar.
“The state authorities had instructed the department to bar Selva Kumar from entering Sarawak,” he said when met after leading a delegation to pay a courtesy call on the chief minister.
On the objective of the courtesy visit, Leben said it was to seek advice from the chief minister as the department is under the purview of the state authority.
“We come here to get a better understanding of the dos and don’ts so we can perform our duty diligently,” he added.
In 1992, Selva Kumar was found guilty of 19 counts of sexual assault, 28 counts of administering a drug or noxious substance, 10 counts of various kinds of assault and a dozen other charges, including extortion.
Canadian news sources have dubbed him ‘Canada’s worst rapist’, who used powerful drugs to render his victims unconscious, before he molested and raped them. Among his victims was a 13-year-old girl.
Selva Kumar, 56, has indicated to police his intention to stay in the Klang Valley and has agreed to police monitoring.
The man’s return to Malaysia has caused citizens to react with fear, leading to several state and political party leaders including Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Masing, Welfare, Women and Community Wellbeing Minister Datuk Fatimah Abdullah, SUPP secretary-general Datuk Sebastian Ting and UPP Pujut chairman Bruce Chai to urge the Sarawak government to impose the ban.
Following news of the immigration ban, netizens have expressed some sort of relief and gave their thumbs-up in thanking the Sarawak government for taking prompt action.
However, some have suggested that a tracking device be put on Selva Kumar so the police can easily detect his whereabouts.