Rafizi recalls being allowed into S'wak after pledge to only criticise Najib

Summary

• Rafizi Ramli recalls being barred from entering Sarawak during the 2016 state election and was only granted a 24-hour entry after jokingly promising to criticise only Najib Abdul Razak.

• PKR leader acknowledges that if he loses his government and party positions, he may once again be denied entry into Sarawak.

PKR’s incumbent deputy president Rafizi Ramli recalled being barred from entering Sarawak during the 2016 state election campaign.

He said that although he was very eager to campaign in the state, he was eventually allowed in for just one day, after promising that he would only criticise then-prime minister Najib Abdul Razak.

“During the 2016 state election, I was only allowed in for one day. At that time, the late Adenan Satem was the chief minister. I wasn’t allowed to enter Sarawak, but I still really wanted to come and campaign here. What could I do?

“So I tweeted at the time and said: Datuk Seri, I promise if I am allowed into Sarawak, I will only criticise Najib (during the campaign).

“He (Adenan) read it and laughed... then one of his officers told me the chief minister laughed when he heard what I said, so he allowed me in for just one day - 24 hours,” said Rafizi during “Jelajah Hiruk” in Sarawak last night.

Rafizi, who is also the economy minister, did not dismiss the possibility of being barred from Sarawak again once he no longer holds a government or party position.

“I was only allowed to enter Sarawak after I was appointed minister, two years ago.

“If I am no longer a minister and no longer PKR’s deputy president, I think I won’t be allowed into Sarawak again," he added.

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