PKR Wanita chief Zuraida Kamaruddin became the latest opposition leader to be barred from entering Sarawak when she was stopped by Immigration officers at the Kuching International Airport this afternoon.
Immigration officers told her that she was not allowed into the state after checking her status with the chief minister's office. No reasons were given.
However, the other 12 PKR Wanita exco members, including deputy president Haniza Talha, vice-president Noorshan Abu Samah, who travelled with her on the AirAsia flight, were allowed to enter the state.
Zuraida, who earlier touched down at the Kuching International Airport around 11am, had a two-hour meeting with six women candidates from Sarawak at the departure hall, before going to the passport control.
The six PKR women potential candidates, knowing that Zuraida might be banned, had bought one-way air tickets, just to meet Zuraida at the departure lounge.
This was the third time Zuraida was denied entry since 2014.
She was first denied entry in March 2014 during the Balingian by-election campaign period.
A month later, Zuraida was allowed to enter the state. It was not clearly known why the ban was lifted but Zuraida believed that immigration might had overlooked and allowed her to enter.
In December the same year, Zuraida was again denied entry.
“I had written to Sarawak chief minister (Tan Sri Adenan Satem) about seven months ago to appeal on this entry ban. I thought with the letter I would be allowed to enter this time around, but unfortunately I am still barred,” Zuraida told reporters via phone while waiting for the Immigration Department to arrange her return air ticket.
“As a Member of Parliament and as citizen of Malaysian, I don’t understand why there is such kind of law to stop Malaysian to move around within the country,” she said, adding that it was a sad affair and that the law was unfair.
Sarawak has autonomy over its immigration regulations and has barred other opposition politicians, including DAP’s Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua and Seputeh MP Teresa Kok, and PKR’s Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli from entering the state.
Lawyer and activist Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan and Bersih 2.0 resource person Dr Wong Chin Huat have also been barred.
PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar, who was photographed with the daughter of a Sulu separatist leader in Manila, was barred from entering Sarawak in December last year. In December last year, Adenan had assured that he would review those on the ban lists on a case-by-case basic, and he would lift the ban if they are not bigots or extremists.
PKR Wanita vice-president Voon Shiak Ni said the state must justify why Zuraida was banned from entering the state, otherwise it would seemed like a political agenda to block opposition leaders from entering ahead of the state polls.
“Is Zuraida a threat to Sarawak’s security and harmony? If she is not, let her come in,” Voon told reporters.
"Our CM is a very reasonable person, we hope he can seriously look into it since election is coming, we hope to have a fairer playing ground.”.-MalaysianInsider
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