Denied entry: Sabah Immigration defends action against Albert

The Sabah Immigration Department has defended its decision to turn away whistleblower Albert Tei from entering the state on Wednesday, a day before he was scheduled to attend the mention of his case at the Kota Kinabalu Sessions Court.

Its director Sh Sitti Saleha Habib Yussof said it was Tei's responsibility to inform and produce the necessary letter to the officer on duty upon his arrival at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA).

"Sabah Immigration Department reiterates our position that the passenger did not inform officers nor produce any evidence to show he was summoned by the court and that he was entering Sabah on court order.

"Instead, the individual only stated that he wanted to go into Sabah to meet his friends," she told Malaysiakini.

Sitti Saleha was responding to a statement by Tei's lawyer Mahajoth Singh earlier today, where he said the department has been informed about the court case through letters sent by the businessperson and the Sabah Attorney-General's Chambers.

Mahajoth also stated that his client had informed the officer on duty at KKIA about his scheduled court appearance, refuting the department's version that claimed Tei said he wanted to enter Sabah to meet his friends and "berjalan-jalan" (sightseeing).

Sitti Saleha added that the burden of proof was on Tei and the businessperson would have been allowed into the state if he had produced the letter upon arrival.

When asked about Mahajoth's statement about the letters being sent to the immigration much earlier, she queried the date and method the documents were delivered.

"It must be done officially. If (the letter) was shown (upon arrival) on Oct 23, the subject would have been allowed in.

"This has nothing to do with letters sent to the Sabah Immigration Department. The subject needs to show the letter to the officer on duty at the entry point," Sitti Saleha stressed.

Case background

Tei is facing two corruption charges at the Kota Kinabalu court, where he was accused of offering bribes to incumbent Tanjung Batu assemblyperson Andi Suryady Bandy and incumbent Sindumin assemblyperson Yusof Yacob.

It was reported that Tei arrived at KKIA about 3.30pm on Wednesday for the mention of his case the next day, but he was instead served with an entry refusal notice purportedly under the instruction of Sabah caretaker chief minister Hajiji Noor.

According to the department, Tei was stopped because he still has an active “notis amaran Sabah” (Sabah alert notice), and he was only to be allowed entry to Sabah if he was summoned to attend a court trial.

"However, when he was questioned by the officers on duty, the passenger said his intention to visit Sabah was only to 'berjalan-jalan' (sightseeing) and to meet friends," it said on Wednesday.

This was the second time Sabah authorities had blocked Tei from entering the state.

He was stopped upon arrival at the KKIA on Sept 22, also to attend his court case, purportedly because of a restriction from the Chief Minister’s Office.

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