Opposition party Keadilan said the government's decision to bar Indonesian human rights lawyer Dr Adnan Buyong Nasution ( photo ) from entering the country was not only "disgraceful" but "insensitive" as well.

Party secretary-general Sahri Bahri said the government owed the Indonesian people an apology for the treatment meted out on the lawyer and his colleague Paskah Irianto who was also barred.

Speaking at a press conference at the Keadilan headquarters in Petaling Jaya yesterday, Sahri demanded an assurance from Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi that such an incident will not recur.

He added that the Indonesian lawyer should be permitted entry into the country in future.

On Tuesday night, Adnan and his colleague were denied entry by immigration officers at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

However, another colleague, Dr Bunga Kejora Trihusodo, was allowed to enter.

Bunga told reporters yesterday that when asked for the reason, one of the officers had said that "it was a directive from the country's leader".

Adnan, who rose to prominence during the reformasi era, was invited by Keadilan to speak on jailed ex-deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim.

He planned to take his case to the International Commission of Jurists, of which he is a member, on the basis that the act to deny him entry was "undemocratic and without basis".

Similar treatment

Meanwhile, Saari also criticised Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Deputy Premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi for their double-standard remarks about the treatment they received from airport authorities in the United States when Malaysia's hospitality was worse.

"The insulting treatment against Adnan was in fact similar to the one experienced by Mahathir himself," he said.

Mahathir had recounted his experience of how US immigration officers conducted a "rude" search of his official plane when he visited the country in May.

He revealed this after it was highlighted that Abdullah was asked to remove his belt and shoes by airport authorities in Los Angeles when the latter was in the US recently for the United Nations General Assembly.

Saari also added that since the premier had expressed concern about injustices around the world, he should not feel threatened if others voiced their opinions on the injustices in Malaysia.

Mahathir had recently lamented the lack of justice in the world following the Israeli siege on Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.

Keadilan is worried that the unwarranted action on the two Indonesians may further strain the diplomatic ties between Indonesia and Malaysia, which have been on rocky ground since the messy deportation of illegal immigrants in August, said Sahri.

Allegations of mistreatment and abuse surfaced, much to the chagrin of the Indonesian and Philippine governments, when Malaysia launched a mass crackdown on illegal immigrants, consisting mainly of nationals from the two countries.

"In the spirit of Asean, we urge the Malaysian government to be more courteous to our guests.

"Such actions will only give the impression that the government is unable to face the fact that the international society, especially from this region, is very much aware of the injustices in Malaysia," said Sahri.

Invitation to BN Youth chief

In an unrelated matter, Keadilan Youth invited Barisan Nasional Youth chief Hishammuddin Hussein to join the youth wings from the component parties in Barisan Alternatif in submitting memorandums to the United States embassy and the British High Commission here to protest any plans to attack Iraq.

Keadilan Youth deputy chief Saifuddin Nasution said he hoped that BN Youth would set aside political differences and join BA members in the event scheduled for tomorrow.

"Since they hold the same stand on the matter, we invite them to join us in our protest against the war against Iraq.

"We are willing to put aside our political sentiments and neglect the Gaya by-election for a day for this," he said at the same press conference.

Keadilan is involved in a three-corned fight with BN and DAP in the Gaya parliamentary by-election in Sabah this Saturday.

Recently, Foreign Affairs Minister Syed Hamid Albar said the government will support any programme organised by the opposition to protest the possible attack on Iraq.