The Sabah government appears to be following Sarawak's trend of exercising its autonomy on immigration affairs to boot out peninsular opposition politicians from the state.

PKR secretary-general Rafizi Ramli was detained by immigration shortly after arriving at Kota Kinabalu International Airport this evening and was subsequently deported.

"Received VIP treatment with escort onto AirAsia. I even received a hot seat, right in front.

"Courtesy of the Sabah chief minister as I was denied entry into Sabah," he said in a Twitter posting.

Rafizi also shared a notice of refusal of entry which was presented to him by Sabah immigration on arrival.

It reads: "This serves to notify you that pursuant to Section 65(1)(a) of the Immigration Act 1959/63, the State Authority has directed that no pass be issued to you to enter State of Sabah and such pass required under Section 66 for you to enter the state".

Rafizi, who had travelled to Sabah to attend a ceramah in Beaufort tomorrow, said he will prepare video recording for the people there to make up for his absence.

Undeterred, Rafizi said the opposition will work to overcome the barring.

"Necessity is the mother of all invention.

"The abuse of state immigration power by BN is a precursor to us finding better ways to reach out," he said.

If the Sabah government follows in the footsteps of Sarawak authorities, the opposition in Sabah will have to rely on its own resources without back up from peninsular Malaysia in the next general elections, which is due in 2018.

More than 20 opposition leaders have been denied entry into Sarawak ahead of the state's May 7 election.