PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu wants a relook into the Immigration Act provisions being misused by Sarawak to bar opposition politicians from entering the state.

His main worry in the coming Sarawak state elections, Mohamad said, was that leading opposition politicians from the peninsula would not be allowed to enter the state.

“I can even go to North Korea, the so-called ‘devil’s country’, but if I am not allowed to enter Sarawak, then it is most ridiculous.

“Therefore, we need to re-examine the provisions of the Immigration Act that have been abused and misused by the state government to bar anyone from carrying out legitimate political activities.

“This is to prevent them from carrying out effective campaigns, and this is our main worry ,” Mohamed Sabu, popularly known as Mat Sabu, told Malaysiakini today.

He said this when met at a Chinese New Year visit to the house of Sarawak DAP secretary and state assemblyperson for Piasau, Alan Ling.

Mat Sabu was appointed director for his party in the Sarawak state election, which should be held before June next year.

PAS has stated that it is interested to contest in at least eight seats in Sarawak.

Expect more to be on the black list

Earlier this month, Sarawak’s Housing Minister Abang Johari Abang Openg disclosed that the state government had drawn up a ‘lengthy’ list of individuals and politicians from the peninsula who should be barred from entering Sarawak.

Among those who are still being barred from entering Sarawak include opposition lawmakers and politicians such as Rafizi Ramli, Tian Chua, Zuraida Kamaruddin, Teresa Kok, R Sivarasa and Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, Persatuan Hindraf Malaysia (PHM) leader P Waythamoorthy, and former Bersih head Ambiga Sreenevasan.

“We expect more to be barred (for them) to make sure our campaigns will not be effective,” Mat Sabu added, pointing out that it was very strange and ridiculous that Malaysians could not enter another part of their own country.

On his party’s relationship with DAP in Sarawak, Mat Sabu said his visit to some of DAP leaders in Sarawak during the Chinese New Year period was to ‘strengthen’ their cooperation in the coming State election.

Following his party’s intention to introduce hudud in Kelantan, the relationships among Sarawak PAS, Sarawak DAP and Sarawak PKR have been at loggerheads.

For the past one year, the three component parties of Sarawak Pakatan Rakyat have not met to discuss overlapping claims of seats even though the state election is around the corner.

“We need to cooperate with one another to fight the BN in Sarawak and to make sure that we do not fight one another.

“BN is our biggest enemy,” Mat Sabu added.