Where’s the S’wak report Suhakam?
By G Vinod, Free Malaysia Today
KUALA LUMPUR: Suaram and the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih 2.0) urged Suhakam to release its findings on allegations that the Sarawak state government abused its unique immigration laws to stifle dissent.
The groups said Suhakam promised to investigate the matter in 2007 when the issue was brought to the human rights commssion’s attention.
“But we’re not even sure if the complaint was investigated or not,” Suaram director Kua Kia Soong told a joint press conference here.
In 2007, Suaram submitted a memorandum to Suhakam and called on the latter to investigate the Sarawak state government for preventing some Malaysians from moving in and out of the state which was against Article 9 of the Federal Constitution which guaranteed freedom of movement.
Kua also said the matter must be investigated thoroughly since even Suhakam commisioner Jannie Lasimbang was barred from entering the state last year.
Last year, Lasimbang was barred from entering the state after immigration officials invoked a ban imposed on her in 1994.
Following a public outcry, she was allowed to enter the state to discharge her duty as a Suhakam commissioner on the conditions that she should not be involved directly or indirectly in activities which were detrimental to the interest of the state and she should not associate herself with organisations which were actively instigating or encouraging the natives of Sarawak to carry out activities which were detrimental to the interests of the state.
On Sunday, Native Customary Right (NCR) activist Steven Ng was barred from entering the state.
‘Taib and BN afraid of activists’
Ng, who was also present at the press conference, said that he arrived at the Kuching International Airport on Sunday when he was stopped by immigration officials.
After checking his particulars for about 15 minutes, Ng was told by the officers that he was not allowed to enter the state.
“I have been moving in and out of the state for the past four years without problems. When I asked the officer for reasons, he told me it was an order from the state security department,” he said.
Then, the officers wanted to put him in a “holding room” but Ng protested and threatened them with legal action for infringing on his rights.
“They relented and allowed me to take a flight back to Kuala Lumpur,” he said, adding that the incident was probably related to the upcoming state election.
He said Chief Minister Taib Mahmud and Barisan Nasional were afraid of the activists’ growing influence among the locals.
Sharing her views, Bersih 2.0 chairman Ambiga Sreenivasan acknowledged that though Sarawak had its own prerogative under Section 65 (I) (a) of the Immigration Act 1959/1963 to disallow certain individuals from entering the state, she expressed concern that the unique authority was being abused.
“I believe the state government is concerned that these activists may expose the corrupt practices of its politicians, especially the abuse on NCR land,” said the former Bar Council president.
She also suspected that many others, especially activists involved in Sarawak issues, would be barred from entering the state as the April 16 polling date drew closer.
