The chief minister of Sarawak (East Malaysia), Taib Mahmud, has been invited to present the opening address at the Oxford University’s Said Business School’s inaugural Islamic Branding and Marketing Forum today.

Taib Mahmud who has been chief minister since 1981 is also the state’s finance minister and planning and resources management minister of Sarawak. Holding these three key posts has given him the power to control land, timber, minerals and other resources, and directly be responsible for handing out concessions for timber and palm oil plantations and privatisation of infrastructure projects (eg dams), via state acquisition of native lands.

It is no coincidence that today, Taib Mahmud and his family have become multi-billionaires. By contrast, the people of Sarawak remain some of the poorest in Malaysia.

I am writing to bring to attention to the fact that Sarawak under the government of Taib Mahmud has prevented the freedom of academic research in Sarawak. I cite my personal experience. In 1997, I was stopped at the Immigration at Miri Airport, north of Sarawak, although I myself am a Malaysian entering a part of my own country.

I was then a research student of Universiti Malaya (UM), one of the most established and oldest universities in Malaysia, travelling to Sarawak for my Master’s degree fieldwork. I even had an official research permit issued by the State Planning Unit (SPU) of the Sarawak government.

I was then given a letter by the Sarawak immigration department declaring me persona non grata in the state which, until today, has not been lifted. In the letter, it was also stated that I had to leave the state within 24 hours. My study proposed to examine the impact of resettlement on the indigenous Ibans due to the Batang Ai Dam.

Without doubt, my background as an activist-researcher played a crucial part in this academic dilemma. However, the fact remained that my academic work was obstructed and I had no choice but to re-start my Master’s study (I had then completed a year of desk research on Sarawak) with a new research topic and fieldwork area.

In theory, everyone is welcome to Sarawak. But the arbitrary rule of Taib has banned, and continues to ban individuals from entering into Sarawak for academic and scientific work - especially in relation to issues such as logging disputes, corruption, government policies on land and mega-infrastructure projects.

There are also many other individuals, mainly activists working on issues relating to Sarawak, who have either been restricted from leaving the state (Sarawakians) or have been blacklisted and banned from entering Sarawak (those from outside Sarawak).

Thus, why is a prestigious university like the Oxford University/Said Business School inviting and supporting such a man like Taib Mahmud to address their forum?