The DAP has submitted a letter of complaint to Sarawak Chief Minister Adenan Satem urging him to halt the travel bans on its members, as well as all other opposition lawmakers and political observers, after its fourth member was barred entry into the state ahead of the state election.

Barred from entering are Petaling Jaya MP Tony Pua, Seputeh MP Teresa Kok, Kulai MP Teo Nie Ching and party staff member Ooi Leng Hang. PKR Penang state exco member Abdul Malik Abul Kassim was also deported yesterday.

DAP also called the travel ban imposed on its partner coalition leaders including PKR vice- president Nurul Izzah, PKR secretary-general Rafizi Ramli and Amanah president Mohamad Sabu, “unreasonable” and “unlawful”, and that these leaders are engaged in legitimate political activity.

“Such acts will bring disrepute to the Sarawak government and your goodself. It is an act of tyranny and one having no respect for the rules of law. Surely, we do not want Sarawak to be looked upon as an authoritarian state,” read the two-page letter, signed by state DAP chairman Chong Chieng Jen.

At least 37 people, mostly lawmakers, activists and academicians, from Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah have been banned from entering the state in since its last election in 2011.

In most cases, no reasons were given by the state’s immigration authorities. Soon after taking office in 2014, Adenan has said he would bar “religious extremists and racists.” The list has not been made public.

The state BN government said it reserved the right to immigration autonomy, enshrined in the 18-point agreement when Malaysia was formed in 1963.

Opposition lawmakers and legal watchdogs, however, said the immigration protections have been abused by the ruling government and that under Sections 66 and 67 of the Immigration Act, travellers engaged in legitimate political activity cannot be barred entry.

“After receiving my letter, he (Adenan) may see my side of the argument that there is no need to sacrifice the principles of fairness and justice just for a short-term, minimal advantage,” Chong told reporters in Kuching today.

“These are things that nobody around him will tell him. Nobody in BN would dare tell him that a small thing like restricting immigration could destroy the good name he’s supposedly trying to build up,” he said.

True colours

Chong said the travel bans were “unprecedented” and DAP leaders never faced such restrictions during the tenure of Adenan’s predecessor, Taib Mahmud, who served 33 years as chief minister.

“A person under crisis shows his true colours. And Adenan’s not even under crisis yet. (Prime Minister) Najib Razak is under crisis. He has shown his true colours, shown them all over the world, letting everybody know what kind of person he is.”

“In Adenan’s case, it is only about more or less glory, for a state election. And if he continues abusing his power now, what other things would he not abuse when it comes to crunch time,” Chong said.

He added that the only indication party members get that they may be banned was an automated reply in the state’s Immigration Department’s website after their identification numbers were keyed-in: “It’ll say ‘Refer to the nearest immigration office.’”

All four members banned members had received such online notifications prior to being barred. Twenty other DAP members have also received the notifications, including senior party members. Chong declined to identify them.

Asked what DAP would do if its senior leadership was banned from entering during the election, Chong said, “We will cross the bridge when we come to it.”

The Sarawak state legislative assembly dissolves today.