Preventing people from entering a certain state via an immigration ban is so “old school” and the Sarawak government should not misuse this tool.
State Reform Party (Star) president Lina Soo (centre, above) said this today adding: “Using immigration autonomy for its political agenda must not be the way how Sarawak portrays itself to the world.
Soo said this in a statement urging the Sarawak state government to allow Sarawak Report editor Clare Rewcastle-Brown to be allowed into the state
She said it would be good for the state to employ her “investigative skills” to probe the alleged failure of the British government to fulfil its trusteeship obligations to Sarawak following the formation of Malaysia in 1963.
Soo said the British government was the architect and principal signatory to the Malaysia Agreement for the surrender of Sarawak’s sovereignty to the Federation of Malaysia in 1963, and therefore, Britain could not be a silent bystander as Sarawak with its bountiful oil and gas reserves descended into one of the poorest regions.
Soo said the British government was the architect and principal signatory to the Malaysia Agreement for the surrender of Sarawak’s sovereignty to the Federation of Malaysia in 1963, and therefore, Britain could not be a silent bystander as Sarawak with its bountiful oil and gas reserves descended into one of the poorest regions.
She also said the British government did indeed put in “safeguards and protections” in the Malaysia Agreement, but it seemed many of these rights had been desecrated by the failure of the former federal government to honour them.
As Rewcastle-Brown has declared her interest in Sarawak, Soo urged the former to uncover the former federal government’s multiple breaches of Sarawak rights as set out in the Malaysia Agreement.
Soo hoped the Sarawak government would lift the entry ban upon Rewcastle-Brown immediately and allow her journey into Sarawak safely to enjoy the place she had lived in as a child.
“We must welcome visitors to Sarawak and wish every guest a memorable stay. They are our ambassadors to promote Sarawak as a premier tourist destination after enjoying our unique Sarawak hospitality,” Soo added.
Rewcastle-Brown is a British investigative journalist who has been openly critical of the BN state government through Sarawak Report – a whistleblower website she runs that is chiefly known for its exposés on the 1MDB affair and alleged corruption by Sarawak Governor Taib Mahmud.
The Malaysian authorities issued a warrant of arrest on the journalist in 2015 citing activities “detrimental to parliamentary democracy.” - Mkini
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