PM orders review of Fahmi Reza's travel ban, IGP clarifies confusion

Summary 

• Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim orders police to look into the travel ban imposed on satirical graphic artist Fahmi Reza.

• Inspector-General of Police Razarudin Husain says there are no travel restrictions on Fahmi, and the order was wrongly issued yesterday. 

• Razarudin assures related processes will be refined.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has instructed the police to review the overseas travel ban imposed on activist and graphic artist Fahmi Reza. 

In a statement today, the Prime Minister’s Office said Anwar’s instructions were conveyed to Deputy Inspector-General of Police Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay.

“The police are required to provide further clarification on the matter. 

“The Madani government upholds individual freedom as long as it does not compromise national security or violate existing laws,” it added. 

Yesterday, Fahmi claimed that an immigration officer at the airport told him that the Bukit Aman federal police headquarters had not granted him permission to leave the country.

This came after he was previously denied entry into Sabah and was deported upon arrival at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport.

Late last December, he was arrested in Sabah for putting up caricatures that painted Sabah governor Musa Aman as a corrupt individual. He was later deported from the state in early January.

‘No travel ban against Fahmi’

Inspector-General of Police Razarudin Husain clarified that Fahmi is not subject to any travel bans at the moment.

Instead, Razarudin said the artist’s name is included in an internal police monitoring list as he is part of an ongoing investigation.

The listing, Razarudin stressed, does not cover travel restrictions and is a routine monitoring procedure regularly conducted by authorities.

“(However), there was some confusion during checks at the nation’s exit on June 7, which caused a travel restriction order to be incorrectly issued. 

“This situation is being looked into and the necessary steps will be taken to improve existing processes,” he added. 

He added that the police remain committed to respecting and protecting the rights to freedom of movement, based on rules set by the Immigration Department and other relevant laws.

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