Khalid Samad barred from entering Sarawak

Amanah’s communications director joins growing list of Opposition lawmakers banned from Sarawak.

KUALA LUMPUR: Opposition MP for Shah Alam Khalid Samad today joined the growing list of Opposition lawmakers banned from entering Sarawak ahead of the state’s May 7 election.

The Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) communications director found himself barred at the gate of the Kuching International Airport this evening at 7.55pm.

No reason has been given for his entry ban so far.

Khalid wasn’t the only politician barred from the state today, as DAP lawmaker Ngeh Koo Ham posted on Twitter today that he was denied entry upon arriving at Kuching International Airport around 9am.

“At Kuching immigration. Called aside & separated fr Penang CM & YB Chow. They were allowed in but I am denied entry,” his tweet posted on his account @ngehkooham read.

The Beruas parliamentarian was on the same flight as Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and Penang executive council member Chow Kon Yeow, but the Perak lawmaker was the only one denied entry.

Ngeh also posted a picture of the ban notice which claimed he was banned entry under Section 65 (1) (A) of the Immigration Act 1959/63.

Opposition politicians barred from entering Sarawak include DAP’s Anthony Loke, Teresa Kok, Tony Pua, Teo Nie Ching, PKR’s Nurul Izzah Anwar, Chua Tian Chang, Shamsul Iskandar, Zuraida Kamaruddin, Sim Sze Tsin and Amanah’s Mohamad Sabu.