Fahmi sends first 'love letter' to IGP, immigration DG, home minister

Summary

• Fahmi Reza sends LOD to the authorities after his ordeal of being barred from leaving the country.

• The activist calls it a ‘love letter’ and asks that his name be removed from any watch list.

Artist-activist Fahmi Reza has sent a letter of demand to the authorities, seeking compensation after he was barred from leaving the country.

The letter, sent on Friday, also seeks Fahmi’s removal from any police watch list as well as any travel restrictions.

The "love letter", as the artist called it, was sent to the offices of the inspector-general of police, the immigration director-general, and the home minister. They have seven days to respond.

Lawyer Yohendra Nadarajan's law firm is representing Fahmi.

The artist had initiated legal action after finding that no one had taken responsibility for a mix-up that barred him from leaving the country on June 7.

Inspector-General of Police Razarudin Husain clarified that this was a mistake, and that Fahmi was not barred from leaving the country.

He is instead only on a police watch list for individuals under investigation.

Fahmi is under investigation for sedition after putting up caricature paintings of Sabah governor Musa Aman as a corrupt individual.

On Thursday, the artist found that the Malay version of the immigration website now states that he needs to refer to immigration before leaving the country. His previous checks found no travel restrictions.

In response, the Immigration Department said the travel restriction only applies to Sabah and not abroad.

Sabah has control over its borders, including for the entry of those from Peninsular Malaysia.

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