The fiance of Keadilan vice-president Tian Chua, currently serving a two-year detention order under the Internal Security Act (ISA), returned to Bangkok today after she was barred from entering Malaysia late last night.

Mabel Au, 32, a Hong Kong citizen left by the 12.45 pm flight from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) in Sepang. She arrived at about 10 pm last night and was reportedly detained by Immigration authorities until her flight today.

She arrived in Kuala Lumpur to visit Tian Chua this coming weekend at the Kamunting Detention Centre in Taiping, Perak.

(Tian has been ordered to be detained under the ISA since June 2 together with Keadilan youth leaders Mohamad Ezam Mohd Nor, Dr Badrul Amin Bahron, Saari Sungib, Lokman Noor Adam and malaysiakini columnist-cum-film-maker Hishamuddin Rais.)

Tian's sister Chua Thien See, who was at the airport, said Au on her arrival was taken to a holding area for immigration offenders to await her flight out.

"Mabel's mobile phone was taken away and she was denied food and drink ... we had to buy that for her," said Chua.

She added the airport's immigration authorities took more than two hours to decide whether a group of people, including lawyers should be allowed to see Au eventually allowing them at 3am.

Chua said she believes Au is on the black list because the Malaysian government is fearful of her presence.

"She is very popular with the Chinese media and she is a woman of substance," she said adding, "The treatment received by my brother's fiance is inhumane and illogical."

Au is the coordinator of a regional non-governmental organisation (NGO), the Committee for Asian Women Workers (CAW), based in Bangkok. So far, she has visited Tian at the Kamunting Detention Centre only once last month.

Following orders

When contacted, KLIA Immigration officer-in-charge, who wanted only to be known as, Haji Zainuddin confirmed Au was barred from entering the country and told to leave. He declined to comment further.

Parti Rakyat Malaysia (PRM) Youth secretary Latheefa Koya, who met Au at the KLIA airport, said Au was not given any reason why she was not allowed to enter the country nor was she allowed to contact her embassy.

"Families of ISA detainees are now being treated like criminals," she said.

"We told the officers (Immigration) that this was a form of victimisation but they replied that they were following orders," she added.

DAP Member of Parliament for Seputeh Teresa Kok registered similar concern and urged the Home Affairs Ministry to state a proper reason for barring Au.

"Au is a foreigner and works for an international organisation. Banning her from Malaysia will give this country a very bad image," she told malaysiakini .

"If the government thinks that Au can create chaos in this country, something must be very, very wrong and the government must be very, very weak," she added.

In a press statement today, the Families of ISA Detainees movement urged the government to act in a 'wise and rational manner' by withdrawing its decision on Au.

"Nothing can break the spirit of the families of ISA detainees and this will instead strengthen their resolve to free those detained and seek the abolishment of the ISA," the movement said.