Sarawak director of immigration Robert Lian said today peninsular-based human rights activist Cynthia Gabriel was barred from entering Sarawak "for very good reasons".

However, he told malaysiakini that the department would normally not divulge, or make public, the reasons for such 'deportations'.

Lian declined to comment when asked whether Cynthia, who is Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram) executive director, was sent back to Kuala Lumpur for her involvement in anti-logging campaign in Sarawak.

However Raymond Abin of the Miri-based environmental organisation Borneo Resources Institute (Brimas) told malaysiakini that he was informed by local immigration officers that Cynthia had been involved in anti-logging activities in the state in the past.

"People would normally presume that is the reason," was all Lian would say when pressed for the reasons of the deportation.

Sarawak has a different set of immigration rules from that used in Peninsular Malaysia as a result of an agreement signed during the formation of Malaysia in 1963. (The states of Sabah and Sarawak, located in Borneo island, opted to join the country then.)

Sarawak retained exclusive control over who enters the state. Even Malaysians living in other states have to go through immigration checks at the borders and must bring along their international passport.

Ordered to leave

Abin - who met Cynthia at the airport - told malaysiakini that the Suaram executive director flew into Miri on Monday evening on an AirAsia flight at 9pm and was refused entry into the state.

"All the immigration authorities told her was that her application for a visitor pass had not been granted," he added.

It is believed that the prominent human rights activist was banned due to a directive from the state government and her name has been on the blacklist since 1998.

Cynthia was ordered to leave Sarawak on the earliest flight out of Miri and the human rights activist subsequently took the 6.30am flight to Kuala Lumpur the next morning after being allowed to spent the night at a house belonging to a Brimas officer.

Cynthia was to speak at a two-day Brimas workshop on "Globalisation and National Security", which was attended by about 16 people comprising representatives of Orang Asli, Kadazandusun and Dayak communities.

"The workshop, which was conducted in Bahasa Malaysia, was an orientation exercise to make the participants more aware of issues related to globalisation and national secrutiy, especially on the indigenous groups in this country," said Abin.

Warning issued

Meanwhile, the Sarawak Immigration Department has issued a warning to those individuals who have been blacklisted to stay away from the state.

State director Lian said those caught at the Kuching International Airport or any entry point would be stopped upon arrival and denied entry.

"This is a standard ruling and until higher authorities say otherwise, those blacklisted have to abide by the country's laws," he was quoted by Bernama as saying.