Opposition leaders slammed Prime Minister Najib Razak's government for deporting Australian Senator Nick Xenophon for allegedly being a security risk, describing the move as "ridiculous" and reflective of the Malaysian leader's paranoia ahead of general elections that may be announced as early as next week. "How can Xenophon be a security risk to Malaysia? Our Home Ministry must be open about this and state clearly its reasons why. By making such a rash move, Najib is shooting himself in the foot and taking Malaysia further away from the international community," Tan Kee Kwong, a senior leader in the PKR party led by Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim told Malaysia Chronicle. "Najib and BN would do well to remember, win or lose the general election, Malaysia as a nation has to go on. He must stop turning the country into a laughing stock. Just days ago, it was Dr Pornthip and Thai government; not to mention Psy and the death threats against him. Today it is Nick Xenophon. Who will it be tomorrow? Najib might as well put out an ad in the international press that any one who does not slavishly praise the BN to the skies is not welcome in Malaysia." Warning, warning: Massive cheating in GE13? Kee Kwong's hard-hitting words were well echoed by Malaysian civil society leaders, who expressed shock at the latest turn of events. Xenophon had impressed Malaysians but irked the government during a 2012 trip, where he was among an international panel invited to observe the BERSIH 3.0 rally for free and fair elections. He was here to meet Anwar on Monday as well as Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nazri Aziz and officials from the Election Commission on Tuesday. "This is embarrassing, Najib is becoming a real comedian. He talks about democracy and moderation but on the other hand he is deporting whoever has an opposite view to his. On what law is he detaining Xenophon, SOSMA the new ISA?," Zuraida Kamaruddin, the PKR Women's chief and MP for Ampang, told Malaysia Chronicle. "Xenophon's detention also shows there are grave grounds to be worried about massive electoral fraud in GE13. Najib must be really worried about Anwar, Pakatan Rakyat to make such a move. We need now to galvanize the people into demanding clean polls. Obviously, something very fishy is up." An enemy of the state! Xenophon had criticized the Malaysian authorities for its brutal crackdown on the hundreds of thousands of civilians who attended the BERSIH 3.0 sit-in rally on April 28, 2012. In a vindictive move, the New Straits Times daily, which is controlled by Najib's Umno party, had falsely accused him of describing Islam as a “criminal organisation” during a 2009 speech made in the Australian Parliament. Amid public outcry in both Malaysia and Down Under , the NST apologized for its bare-faced twisting of Xenophon's speech and the Senator is still contemplating whether to sue or not. Meanwhile, there is no official word out from the Home Ministry, which is run by Najib's cousin Hishammuddin Hussein. Apart from Xenophon, other Australian senators and MPs were due to arrive on Sunday to observe Malaysia’s electoral system, but have now cancelled their flights. “According to Immigration, he’s a security risk and they are just acting on orders from above,” Ibrahim Yaacob, Anwar's chief of staff, had told the press. Feeling more insecure? One international fiasco after another In the past 2 weeks, Najib has gotten into trouble over several international incidents. Just a day ago, he was forced to issue a denial he had personally intervened to stop renowned Thai pathologist Dr Pornthip from coming to Kuala Lumpur to perform a second autopsy on security guard C Sugumar, who had died in suspicious circumstances while in police custody. Najib and his BN coalition also attracted massive negative publicity over a Chinese New Year gig where Korean mega-star Psy was invited to perform his smash-hit Oppa Gangnam-style. However, despite a purported US$2 million fee, the Korean star declined to come onstage and endorse the BN team, only performing after they had returned to their VIP tents. To cover up the embarrassment, Umno-BN spread word that Najib had to 'leave early' because there was a death threat against the singer. "These are all signs that Najib is feeling more and more insecure. He is turning more hardline and authoritarian as the election nears. But to deport a senator from a friendly country like Australia is to tell the whole world that the BN has something to hide. In the past, observers - whether pro-BN or pro-Opposition - could come and give their views after fact-finding visits. So why now?" Sivarasa Rasiah, the PKR MP for Subang, told Malaysia Chronicle. Telling the world Malaysia has something to hide Xenophon is still in detention in the the Malaysian budget carrier terminal 2, where Miles Kupa, the Australian High Commissioner, and another official are with him. He has confirmed he is due to be deported. “I am effectively a prisoner here,” Xenophon, who managed to make a phone call home, was quoted as telling Australian newspaper The Sunday Mail. “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. 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.” Malaysia Chronicle

Opposition leaders slammed Prime Minister Najib Razak's government for deporting Australian Senator Nick Xenophon for allegedly being a security risk, describing the move as "ridiculous" and reflective of the Malaysian leader's paranoia ahead of general elections that may be announced as early as next week.

"How can Xenophon be a security risk to Malaysia? Our Home Ministry must be open about this and state clearly its reasons why. By making such a rash move, Najib is shooting himself in the foot and taking Malaysia further away from the international community," Tan Kee Kwong, a senior leader in the PKR party led by Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim told Malaysia Chronicle.

"Najib and BN would do well to remember, win or lose the general election, Malaysia as a nation has to go on. He must stop turning the country into a laughing stock. Just days ago, it was Dr Pornthip and Thai government; not to mention Psy and the death threats against him. Today it is Nick Xenophon. Who will it be tomorrow? Najib might as well put out an ad in the international press that any one who does not slavishly praise the BN to the skies is not welcome in Malaysia."

Warning, warning: Massive cheating in GE13?

Kee Kwong's hard-hitting words were well echoed by Malaysian civil society leaders, who expressed shock at the latest turn of events. Xenophon had impressed Malaysians but irked the government during a 2012 trip, where he was among an international panel invited to observe the BERSIH 3.0 rally for free and fair elections.

He was here to meet Anwar on Monday as well as Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nazri Aziz and officials from the Election Commission on Tuesday.

"This is embarrassing, Najib is becoming a real comedian. He talks about democracy and moderation but on the other hand he is deporting whoever has an opposite view to his. Onwhat law is he detaining Xenophon, SOSMA the new ISA?," Zuraida Kamaruddin, the PKR Women's chief and MP for Ampang, told Malaysia Chronicle.

"Xenophon's detention also shows there are grave grounds to be worried about massive electoral fraud in GE13. Najib must be really worried about Anwar, Pakatan Rakyat to make such a move. We need now to galvanize the people into demanding clean polls. Obviously, something very fishy is up."

An enemy of the state!

Xenophon had criticized the Malaysian authorities for its brutal crackdown on the hundreds of thousands of civilians who attended the BERSIH 3.0 sit-in rally on April 28, 2012.

In a vindictive move, the New Straits Times daily, which is controlled by Najib'sUmno party, had falsely accused him of describing Islam as a “criminal organisation” during a 2009 speech made in the Australian Parliament. Amid public outcry in both Malaysia and Down Under , the NST apologized for its bare-faced twisting of Xenophon's speech and the Senator is still contemplating whether to sue or not.

Meanwhile, there is no official word out from the Home Ministry, which is run by Najib's cousin Hishammuddin Hussein.

Apart from Xenophon, other Australian senators and MPs were due to arrive on Sunday to observe Malaysia’s electoral system, but have now cancelled their flights.

“According to Immigration, he’s a security risk and they are just acting on orders from above,” Ibrahim Yaacob, Anwar's chief of staff, had told the press.

Feeling more insecure? One international fiasco after another

In the past 2 weeks, Najib has gotten into trouble over several international incidents. Just a day ago, he was forced to issue a denial he had personally intervened to stop renowned Thai pathologist Dr Pornthip from coming to Kuala Lumpur to perform a second autopsy on security guard C Sugumar, who had died in suspicious circumstances while in police custody.

Najib and his BN coalition also attracted massive negative publicity over a Chinese NewYear gig where Korean mega-star Psy was invited to perform his smash-hit Oppa Gangnam-style. However, despite a purported US$2 million fee, the Korean star declined to come onstage and endorse the BN team, only performing after they had returned to their VIP tents. To cover up the embarrassment, Umno-BN spread word that Najib had to 'leave early' because there was a death threat against the singer.

"These are all signs that Najib is feeling more and more insecure. He is turning more hardline and authoritarian as the election nears. But to deport a senator from a friendly country like Australia is to tell the whole world that the BN has something to hide. In the past, observers - whether pro-BN or pro-Opposition - could come and give their views after fact-finding visits. So why now?" Sivarasa Rasiah, the PKR MP for Subang, toldMalaysia Chronicle.

Telling the world Malaysia has something to hide

Xenophon is still in detention in the the Malaysian budget carrier terminal 2, where Miles Kupa, the Australian High Commissioner, and another official are with him. He has confirmed he is due to be deported.

“I am effectively a prisoner here,” Xenophon, who managed to make a phone call home, was quoted as telling Australian newspaper The Sunday Mail.

“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. 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.”

Malaysia Chronicle