Aussie senator deported after 15-hour detention

Australian senator Nick Xenophon was deported at 10.30 tonight after being detained for 15 hours at the Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) for allegedly being an 'enemy of the state'.

Xenophon, who landed at the LCCT terminal at Sepang 6.40am on an AirAsia flight, was immediately detained by Immigration authorities on arrival.

"I am effectively a prisoner here," Xenophon told Australia’s Sunday Mailsoon after he was detained. "I'm being held in an area with all these holding cells which are full of women.

"They have basically told me I am an enemy of the state. They are trying to get me on the next plane out of here and back home."

Despite not allowed to make any telephone calls, the senator managed to call the Australian newspaper when he was left unattended in the interrogation room.

Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim's chief of staff Ibrahim Yaacob, who rushed to the LCCT to deal with the matter, told Malaysiakinithat immigration officials found Xenophon's name has been blacklisted in the Immigration Department's system.

"The officials did not give any other reasons, but Xenophon told us he was informed that he is an enemy of the state," Ibrahim said when contacted.

Lawyer Mohd Radzlan Jalaludin, who managed to meet with Xenophon, told Malaysiakini earlier today that the senator was detained under Section 8(3) of the Immigration Act as a "prohibited person'.

“He is okay, being treated well. They provided him lunch,” he said.

To be batted back home

According to AFP, Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr said Australian officials were in touch with Xenophon, as well as Malaysia's foreign and home ministers.

"Senator Xenophon's detention is a surprising and disappointing act from a country with which Australia routinely maintains strong diplomatic relations," he said in a statement earlier today.

The independent senator was part of a four-member Australian delegation which took upon themselves the task of examining the Malaysian electoral system when the Australian government rejected Anwar's request for independent observers for the coming general election.

The three other Australian politicians are Liberal MP Mal Washer, Nationals senator John Williams and Labor MP Steve Georganas.

The delegation is scheduled to meet with Anwar on Monday, the Election Commission and Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Nazri Abdul Aziz on Tuesday, as well as other NGOs and opposition MPs.

However, the trio had yet to leave for Malaysia. According to Ibrahim, they have decided to cancel their visit after what happened to Xenophon.

"This will give horrible name to Malaysia internationally," he decried.

'Orders from above'

In April last year, Xenophon was part of a seven-member international team commissioned by Anwar to conduct a fact-finding mission on Malaysia's electoral system.

He also attended the Bersih 3.0 rally as an international observer and was tear gassed by the riot police clamping down on demonstrators demanding electoral reforms.

Xenophon's presence in Malaysia also prompted both Utusan Malaysia and New Straits Times to publish reports painting him asanti-Islam.

Both dailies then openlyapologised after he threatened to take legal action as transcripts confirmed the senator, in his speech, had not referred to Islam, but Scientology.

Xenophon also told Australia's ABC News 24 he had not expected to be detained on arrival in Kuala Lumpur.

He said the immigration officials have been "incredibly polite" but they have told him they received "orders from above" to detain him.

"I just find it extraordinary. I've been here before [and] I've made statements about the state of Malaysian democracy previously," he said.

"But on this occasion clearly someone high up in the Malaysian government doesn't want me here."

Xenophon tarnishes Malaysia's image

Immigration director-general Alias Ahmad said in a text message toAFP that Xenophon had "tarnished the image of the country" and been classified as a "prohibited immigrant".

He later elaborated in a statement that Xenophon was blacklisted because he attended an "illegal street protest" in Kuala Lumpur last year.

"Malaysia is a free and democratic country, but no one is above the law. Authorities will take the appropriate action against any individual deemed to have violated national laws," Alias said.

"Xenophon has entered Malaysia for a couple of times before and he had participated in illegal activities which violated Malaysian laws," he added in his statement.

Alias explained that the senator was also found to have been making baseless allegations and spreading lies about Malaysia.

"The prohibition of entrance against Xenophon is the prerogative of the Malaysian government, in line with the country's laws and constitution," he said.

Xenophon said he attended the electoral reform mass rally last April as an observer while studying Malaysia's polls system.

"It seems that the government is fearful of scrutiny," he said via telephone from the airport. "This in my mind confirms that they (elections) won't be" fair.