Australia demands Xenophon’s release

Carr labelled the Australian senator’s detention as a “disappointing act” by Malaysia. — Reuters pic

SEPANG, Feb 16 ― Australia is seeking the immediate release of its senator Nick Xenophon, who is now detained for being an alleged “security risk” at the Low-Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) here.

Xenophon was held at the airport upon arrival this morning and is expected to be deported after being flagged by the Immigration Department.

“Australia’s concerns have been raised with Malaysia’s Foreign Minister and the Minister for Home Affairs and the Malaysian High Commissioner to Australia. Their support is requested in securing Senator Xenophon’s swift release from custody,” Australia’s Foreign Minister Bob Carr said in a statement today.

“Senator Xenophon’s detention is a surprising and disappointing act from a country with which Australia routinely maintains strong diplomatic relations,” he added.

Xenophon is in Malaysia to meet Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz and Election Commission (EC) officials next week to discuss country’s electoral system, Anwar’s chief of staff Ibrahim Yaacob said today.

Carr said that Australia’s High Commissioner Miles Kupa has contacted Xenophon and demanded an explanation from the authorities for the senator’s detention.

News of Xenophon’s detention was also picked up by the Australian press.

“I am effectively a prisoner here,” he was quoted as saying in the Australian newspaper The Sunday Mail.

The paper reported the Australian lawmaker managed to slip through a phone call when he was left unattended in the interrogation room.

“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.

“I was even meeting members of the government. I mean, the whole situation is ridiculous; we are meant to be the closest of friends with Malaysia,” he told the paper.

“We are meant to be having a people swap deal on asylum seekers but so far it looks like the only person being swapped is me,” he was quoted saying.

The paper further reported Xenophon as saying he believed a recent piece he had written for Fairfax newspapers last month, which was critical of human rights here, may be a reason for his current treatment by Malaysian authorities.

Xenophon came to Malaysia last April as an election observer after being invited by Anwar.

The Australian senator was part of a seven-member international team of election observers who later met Nazri.

Despite being invited by Anwar, the group insisted they were independent, claiming that their expenses for the fact-finding mission were borne either personally or by their respective governments.

Xenophon had said that fundamental concerns regarding Malaysia’s electoral roll, campaign period, media access and other issues pertaining to electoral reforms were raised with Nazri.

Xenophon also observed the Bersih rally here last April and said the government’s handling of the mass protest for free and fair elections showed its “authoritarian” nature.

He noted that the police had fired tear gas and chemical-laced water in what had been a largely peaceful rally.

Xenophon was portrayed by local English daily the News Straits Times (NST) last year as anti-Islam in an article that falsely quoted him as calling Islam a “criminal organisation” during his 2009 speech in Australia’s Parliament.

Xenophon later said he would sue the NST after the newspaper admitted its mistake.