SARAWAK POLLS | DAP politician Ngeh Koo Ham has questioned why he has been blacklisted from entering Sarawak to campaign in the forthcoming state assembly election.
He also wondered if there was a political motive behind the move.
In a press conference in the Parliament lobby yesterday evening, the opposition MP for Beruas demanded an answer from the Immigration Department.
“I just received word from the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee that my application to enter Sarawak has been rejected because I am apparently blacklisted by the Immigration…
“I want an explanation from the department,” Ngeh said.
The DAP central executive committee member stressed that he was one of the five party leaders chosen to represent the party in Sarawak, as per the Election Commission rules.
Ngeh also noted that he had no criminal record, proving there was no reason for the ban on him.
“I want an answer from the (caretaker) Sarawak government as to why I am not allowed to campaign there...
“Is this because they are afraid of me campaigning? Is the GPS (caretaker) government afraid of me exposing something to the Sarawakian people?” he asked.
Supposed to leave tomorrow
Contacted by Malaysiakini, Ngeh said he was in the Klang Valley at present and had planned to fly to Sarawak today.
He rued how there has been “no official reason” why his enterSarawak application was rejected. Sarawak has autonomy over its immigration borders.
The Perak DAP advisor learned that it was Sarawak that had requested the Immigration Department to blacklist him.
“When I raised it in Parliament (earlier today) the Deputy Home Minister (Ismail Mohamad Said) and the officer later informed me that they prohibited me on the instructions of the Sarawak government,” he shared in his statement yesterday.
This is not the first time Ngeh has been denied entry.
He was deported in April 2016 after landing in Sarawak ahead of the previous state election. He was deported a second time in 2018 after landing four days before GE14.
This time around, it is not known whether other politicians have been denied entry.
Meanwhile, Ngeh said he would continue campaigning for the party’s candidates in the Sarawak election from where he is. - Mkini
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