Why I was refused entry into Sabah

Since April this year,representing MCLM, I have made frequent trips to Sabah.

Met many people, and made many new friends.

MCLM members, political and grassroot leaders, and activists.

All of whom share the same viewpoint as I.

That UMNO and other BN leaders together with their cronies have plundered the wealth of this naton.

That if this nation is to be rehabilitated, if what remains of our national resources is to be properly applied to uplift the lives of the 40% who have been long marginalised, and if we are to have any chance at restituting some of the nation’s wealth back to the rakyat, UMNO and BN had to be removed from Putrajaya.

Yesterday, at 3.30pm, I arrived at the Kota Kinabalu airport.

Upon reaching the immigration counter and presenting my passport, I was asked by the immigration officer to step into the immigration office.

Memories of my recent failed efforts to enter Sarawak immediately came to mind.

In the immigration office, an officer by the name of Ahmad apologised and informed me that they had received instructions from ‘up above’ that I was not to be allowed into Sabah, and that they were now processing to deport me on the next flight out of Sabah.

I immediately called friends who were waiting at the airport to receive me to inform them of this latest development.

Quick thinking by one of those who were waiting at the airport enables me now to leave you with a video clip of what transpired at the airport yesterday.

Shortly after, I was presented with a formal notice of refusal to allow me to enter Sabah.

Immigration might just as well have handed me a blank piece of paper.

This notice offers no substantive reason why I, as a citizen of the federation of Malaysia, was refused entry into a part of that federation!

Around 4.30pm, I was escorted onto AirAsia flight No. AK5129 bound for Kuala Lumpur, and was informed that my luggage had already been placed on the aircraft.

Landed at KLIA LCCT around 7.30pm.

Retrieved my luggage from the carousel.

This is what I found.

The bright yellow padlock had gone AWOL.

And the retractable trolley arm had been completely damaged.

Fearing not so much the loss of boxer shorts or t-shirts, but any contraband placed in the luggage to ‘fix’ me, I went straight to AirAsia’s BaggageLost & Found counter to report this and to open and examine the contents of the luggage witnessed by AirAsia staff.

Do I think that Immigration had anything to do with the missing padlock?

Yes, I do.

Why would they want to open my luggage?

The answer to this also addresses the question of why I was refused entry.

I am involved in 2 initiatives planned for Sabah.

One is already underway.

The other is imminent.

I was slated to speak at a press conference in Kota Kinabalu next week, to announce details of the initiative already underway and to launch that which is now imminent.

And thereafter, to take a message to the people of Sabah.

I made calls last night to people in Sabah who are in the know.

The Sabah government got wind of these 2 initiatives.

Hence, the directive to refuse me entry into Sabah.

Why search my bag?

They were hoping to find material to be used in those initiatives so that, rather than deport, I might be detained.

No such luck.

That’s because two passengers on an earlier flight yesterday had couriered that material safely into Sabah.

And as I told friends waiting at the airport yesterday, the Sabah government is about to learn that we can still beat them, notwithstanding their abuse of the laws at their disposal, with the information and communication technology that we have at our disposal.

I am urging those working with me on the 2 initiatives to go ahead with the planned press conference next week where I will speak through video conferencing.

And to proceed undeterred with the second initiative.

As for the message to be delivered to the people of Sabah, our media team is working now to have the same ready to be delivered into their homes.

To Musa Aman and UMNO and their other running dogs in BN, please understand this.

It will take more than a Notice of Refusal of Entry to stop us.

- People's Parliament