PKR's MP Gobala denied entry to S'wak again

Padang Serai MP N Gobalakrishnan was denied entry to Sarawak by immigration authorities this afternoon, marking the third of such incident for him since December 2008.

Gobalakrishnan arrived at Sibu airport on an AirAsia flight at 3.55pm and was told at the immigration counter that he could not enter Sarawak.

He was however allowed to meet his adoptive family of Iban descent for 19 minutes at the airport and began waiting for his next flight out of the state.

It is believed that the decision to bar Gobalakrishnan was linked to the ongoing Sibu by-election campaign.

The first time he was barred from Sarawak was on Christmas eve two years ago when he was suppose to spend Christmas with his adoptive family. He was again denied entry last June.

'Thrown out of Malaysian soil'

Gobalakrishnan, who was given the native name of Jugam Jugah, and Subang MP R Sivarasa were among PKR politicians who have been denied entry into the state in recent years.

Contacted later, Gobalakrishnan said he was put on the same flight back to the Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) at 4.30pm.

He said that the authorities decision to deny him entry was a major blow for his adoptive father, Jugah Lidi, who traveled seven hours on water and land from Sungai Sut, near Kapit, to greet him at the airport.

“I feel like a Malaysian thrown out from Malaysian soil. This is an abuse of the Malaysia Agreement. How can you deny a Malaysian lawmaker and son of an Iban family out?

“The Sarawak government should be focusing their energy on things that really matter, like building a road to Kapit. It has been 40 years since Sarawak joined Malaysia and people still have to travel by ferry from Kapit to Sibu,” he said.

They fear the ‘black Iban’

Gobalakrishnan argued that Article 67(C) of the Malaysia Agreement allows a member of a legislature to enter Sarawak and propagate politics and a clear violation had occurred.

Though he was not given the actual reason for his denial of entry, Gobalakrishnan believes that the Sarawak government was afraid of Pakatan Rakyat’s influence in the area.

“I am regarded as a ‘black Iban’ and this time, the Iban vote is crucial. I think they believe I can ‘turn’ them,” he said. 

“I have written an open letter to the community to tell them that if they throw an adopted son out of Sarawak. Sooner or later, they will throw the Iban out.

“Thus, the Iban should throw them out now Because Barisan Nasional has taken their land, jungle and animals from them. Its time they take action,” he added.

Gobalakrishnan said that since he cannot be with his adoptive family, he would be inviting them to Kuala Lumpur during the next sitting of the Dewan Rakyat.

“I want them to see the law minister and tell him about their plight. They need to seek justice,” he said. 

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