Nurul Izzah (right) receives the ban notice from an immigration officer at Kuching International Airport. — Photo courtesy of Dr A Xavier Jayakumar
KUCHING: Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar has become the latest opposition leader to be refused entry to the state.
The PKR vice-president and election co-director arrived at Kuching International Airport on board flight AK5210 around 4pm yesterday, but was later informed by immigration officers that she had been barred from entering.
Nurul Izzah then took the next available flight to Kuala Lumpur, said Seri Andalas assemblyman Dr A Xavier Jayakumar who was accompanying her throughout. A Xavier, who is also PKR vice- president, also said no reason was given for the refusal of entry.
“It’s not fair to bar her because she has not done anything out of the law. Nurul Izzah is not a threat and she’s not even guilty of anything, unless proven otherwise.
“Democracy is failing when things like this happen,” he stressed. A Xavier said they were supposed to be here to discuss and support local party leaders, apart from getting feedback on their preparations for the next state election. Nurul Izzah was also supposed to announce PKR’s potential candidates for the next polls at Grand Continental Hotel here last night.
It is believed that the restriction against Nurul Izzah has something to do with a recent meeting between her, Batu MP Tian Chua and Jacel Kiram, who is daughter of self-proclaimed Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram.
Late last month, Sabah State Legislative Assembly passed a motion to ban Nurul Izzah and Tian Chua from entering Sabah.Sarawak has autonomy over its immigration regulations. It had, in the past, barred opposition leaders such as Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua, Seputeh MP Teresa Kok, Ampang MP Zuraida Kamaruddin, Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli, PKR election co-director Datuk Saifuddin Nasution and Subang MP R Sivarasa from entering the state.
In a press statement yesterday, Nurul Izzah said she wanted to come here to continue PKR’s agenda through its series of mini projects under #Changmakers # DemiSarawak, where the party would be providing roadside lamp posts, as well as clean water and electricity supply in rural areas of Sarawak.
“Unfortunately I was barred from entering Sarawak through a refusal notice provide for by Section 65 (1) (a) of the Immigration Act 1959 / 1963.” She claimed that the act was supposed to reject mass exodus of residents from Peninsular Malaysia to Sabah and Sarawak; hence, it should not apply to MPs whose duty was to serve the people. By virtue of Section 67 of the Act, the state government too could not bar anyone from entering Sarawak for any political activity, she claimed.
Nurul Izzah also viewed the action of barring her as ‘an abuse of power’ because the act should only be used to counter national threats, extremism, terrorism and subversive elements – and not against individuals like herself.