Rafizi barred from entering Sarawak, again
PKR's strategic director Rafizi Ramli (pic) was this afternoon again denied entry into Sarawak – the second time in as many months.
See Chee How, the party's state deputy chairman, in a text message said Rafizi was stopped by immigration officers on arrival at the Kuching international airport at around 6.20pm.
The Pandan MP reportedly was coming to canvass support for his candidature in the party's election.
See said Rafizi had been told he would be placed on the next flight to Kuala Lumpur.
The party's secretary-general, Datuk Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, who was to have been on the same flight with Rafizi, was spared at being declared a persona non-grata again when he decided not to make the trip.
Sarawak, using its discretionary powers over immigration under the terms of the Malaysia Agreement of 1963, had on March 27 barred Rafizi, Saifuddin, Batu member of parliament Tian Chua and the party's wanita chief and MP for Ampang Zuraida Kamaruddin from entering the state to take part in the final run-in of the Balingian by-election.
They were all denied entry on arriving at the Sibu airport.
Rafizi and Tian Chua were travelling with their defacto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim when they were stopped.
Only Anwar was allowed in.
The only other PKR leader allowed in for the by-election was Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim.
Saifuddin flew into Sibu earlier that morning.
Strangely, Zuraida, did not experience the treatment Rafizi received today when she was allowed into the state yesterday.
She was travelling with deputy president Azmin Ali to canvass for support from PKR members in Sarawak and Sabah.
State PKR chief Baru Bian said he will issue a statement of the latest denial of entry of an opposition leader tomorrow.
Baru had earlier said he would file a suit in a Kuching high court to challenge the state government's action to bar opposition leaders from coming to campaign in the by-election.
See (pic, left) then had said the decision to bar the opposition leaders was because the BN was losing in Balingian.
The denial of entry was also questioned when the state reportedly allowed Malay right-wing group Perkasa's chief, Datuk Ibrahim Ali, into the state.
His reported entry prompted Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem to warn “troublemakers”, “racists” and “religious bigots” from the peninsula that he would invoke his immigration powers and boot them out if they attempt to stir racial and religious sentiments in the state.
Ibrahim, who had infuriated Christians that make up the majority of the state's population by calling for the seizure and burning of Bshasa Malaysia Bibles, or Al-Kitab, containing the Arab word Allah, was reported to have officiated a Perkasa Sarawak event and held a working visit to Persatuan Kebangsaan Melayu Sarawak (PKMS) in Kuching. – April 21, 2014.
