The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) has urged Putrajaya to notify all Malaysians who have been barred from leaving Malaysia and explain why it has done so.
Monday July 27, 2015 10:39 AM GMT+8
KUALA LUMPUR, July 27 — The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) has urged Putrajaya to notify all Malaysians who have been barred from leaving Malaysia and explain why it has done so.
According to Suhakam, the Immigration Department made an “unexplained and perplexing decision” to limit the freedom of movement of the country’s citizens, especially human rights activists and opposition politicians.
“Such restrictions therefore appear to be arbitrary, unreasonable and disproportionate, contradicting not only national legislation, but also international law and human rights norms,” Suhakam said in a statement today.
“In this regard, the Commission urges the authorities to immediately clarify the current situation concerning the travel ban, and to notify all citizens whose exit from Malaysia is restricted, including those restrictions that have been imposed illegally or erroneously, as well as to provide sufficient opportunity to appeal the decision of the department in each case,” it added.
Suhakam said it is concerned with the recent crackdown by Putrajaya that restricts some of the fundamental rights of Malaysians: the freedom of movement, freedom of expression, freedom of information and press freedom.
“The Commission is also deeply concerned at the various forms of discrimination by the authorities against people based on their political affiliations,” it said.
Last week, DAP Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua was stopped by the Immigration Department on Wednesday from leaving to Yogyakarta, Indonesia, without any explanation.
PKR Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli said later the same day that he has been flagged by the department.
Although no reason was given for the ban, Pua was alleged to be among those who met former PetroSaudi International (PSI) executive Xavier Justo in Singapore to purchase leaked and allegedly tampered documents the Middle-Eastern firm’s abortive deal with 1Malaysia Development Bhd.
Pua has denied this and shown his passport to prove he did not travel to Singapore at the material time. He also said he will file a legal challenge of the ban.