More than 20 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) today urged the Sarawak state government to review its decision on barring businessman Tan Seng Hin from re-entering the state.

The expulsion shows the oppressive stance of the Barisan Nasional state government towards dissidents, said spokesperson for the group, Rashid Kang at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur today.

He was reading a joint statement endorsed by 28 NGOs which called on the Sarawak state government to retract its expulsion order on Tan, deeming it a 'gross violation of human rights and an abuse of Sarawak Immigration autonomy.'

Kang, who is also human rights group Suaram coordinator, said: "The businessman was deported from Sarawak because he overtly objected to the change of teaching medium from Mandarin to English in the Riam Road Middle School in Miri."

This was part of a state government's plan advocated by Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister, George Chan to place the Miri campus of the Curtin University of Western Australia in the school compound, he added.

Kang said the government's move was met with protests from the local Chinese community who helped establish the school and Tan was among one of the most vocal protestors.

"The plan was the deputy chief minister's idea and obviously he did not like what Tan was doing," he said.

The 61-year-old businessman was ordered by the authorities to leave the state on Dec 22 and was subsequently deported from Sarawak on Jan 6 this year for his alleged "extreme actions".

Blacklisted

Recently, Deputy Home Affairs Minister Zainal Abidin Zin labeled Tan an "extremist" whose presence in the state threatened the harmony of the local community.

However, Kang said this was just another case of "quelling the voice of dissidents".

"Sarawakians (activists), were denied renewal of their passports so that they will be confined to the state. For those who were not born in Sarawak, they were blacklisted and denied entry into the state," he said.

Also present at the press conference were representatives from various NGOs and political parties including Civil Rights Committee vice-executive secretary Tan Yoke Suan, Parti Rakyat Malaysia (PRM) central committee member Lee Sang and DAP international-secretary Teresa Kok.

Tan ,who was also present, said he was confident that the NGOs support will get him back into Sarawak and reunite him with his family.

"I am sure that with the pressure from NGOs, political parties and even the international community, I will be seeing my family again in Sarawak soon," he said.

Death threat

Among the Chinese educationists who objected to the state government's move, Tan claimed to be the only one who had his social visit pass canceled and was ordered to leave the state. The others were Sarawakians who do not require the document for their stay, he added.

He also said two of the educationists, including himself, received death threat letters a year before the expulsion, warning them to stop criticising the change of medium at the Riam Road Middle School immediately.

Tan said he would appeal to the Home Affairs Ministry regarding his expulsion and did not rule out the possibility of legal action as well.