Lawyer for whistleblower Albert Tei today demanded that Sabah Chief Minister Hajiji Noor respond within 24 hours as to why his client was barred from entering Sabah.
In a statement, Mahajoth Singh said Tei landed at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport at about 12.30pm today, as he is scheduled to attend a case mention at the Kota Kinabalu Sessions Court at 9am tomorrow.
However, upon arrival, Mahajoth claimed that Tei was stopped and told he could not enter Sabah because of a restriction from the chief minister’s office, as conveyed by one “Ms Mimie”, who is the purported deputy assistant director of immigration.
“To his dismay, my client was forced to prove that he had an ongoing court case by contacting the investigating officer and emailing the relevant documents to the immigration officer. Only then was he permitted to enter, not as of right, but purportedly at the discretion of the immigration officer, and even then for a mere two days.
“This episode is deeply disturbing. A Malaysian citizen cannot be arbitrarily barred from entering Sabah. To justify such an act on the basis of alleged instructions from the chief minister’s office is an unlawful act and a direct violation of Articles 5 and 9 of the Federal Constitution,” Mahajoth (above) added.
He stressed that the matter is all the more serious given Tei’s allegations of corruption against Hajiji, adding that in this context, any restriction on his entry appears self-serving and a blatant abuse of power.
“I ask the chief minister of Sabah, did your office issue such an instruction to block my client’s entry? If not, why did Sabah Immigration act on the claim that there was such an instruction?
“Both cannot be true. Either the Chief Minister’s Office authorised this unlawful act, or the Immigration Department acted unlawfully. In either case, my client is entitled, under the law, to a clear explanation. You have 24 hours to respond,” Mahajoth added.
‘Untouchable Hajiji’
Tei had filed reports earlier today with both the police and MACC in Sabah against Hajiji, demanding a probe into how confidential investigation details were leaked.
In his report, Tei - who exposed an alleged mining scandal involving leaders of Hajiji’s Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) coalition - accused the chief minister of breaching the Official Secrets Act 1972 (OSA) and Section 203A of the Penal Code by leaking classified information.
He cited Hajiji’s speech on Dec 14 last year, delivered soon after Tei released a series of videos, in which the chief minister revealed knowledge of MACC’s questioning of Tei.
A TikTok clip showed Hajiji saying he was “informed” Tei “did not admit to doing it” when questioned by the MACC.
Tei, who has repeatedly accused the authorities of covering up the scandal, said this latest incident confirmed his worst fears about high-profile cases.
“Even my statement to the MACC is not spared from being leaked to the very person who is supposed to be investigated. It is as if Hajiji is immune from the law, untouchable,” he stressed.
Tei, who will be attending a court proceeding in Kota Kinabalu related to the scandal, said he plans to hold a press conference at the court complex tomorrow at 10am to reveal more details. - Mkini
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