Activists Denied Entry Into Sarawak

One of the main issues in Sarawak at the moment is Native Customary Rights (NCR) especially those involving land.

The Penan have been systematically sidelined for economical pursuits such as logging and mining.

There are a bunch of activists who have been trying to stop this from happening. One is Swiss-born Bruno Manser who has been missing for a long time and is feared dead.

Another is Steven Ng, who is KL-based but working on land grab issues for the past five years now.

On the 3rd of April, Steven Ng was denied entry into Sarawak in view of the upcoming elections. Evidently, the BN government does not want dicey issues brought up at this very critical period when they are trying to swindle the Sarawakians of their votes.

Steven Ng is not the only one. On the 8th of April, Wong Chin Huat was denied entry too, under section 66 of the Immigration Act, which allows immigration to restrict entry.

But he plans to use section 67 of the act to challenge the move. Section 67, he says, allows Malaysians to enter the state for legitimate political activity.

Both activists were blocked at the airport and had to fly back to KL on the next flight.

Last month, PKR MP Sivarasa was denied entry - apparently under orders from Taib Mahmud.

UPDATE: Since then, MCLM president Haris Ibrahim and former President of the Bar council Ambiga Sreenevasan have also been banned from entering Sarawak.

This is BN's way of restricting the flow of information that may damage their potential win in Sarawak. Is there still any doubt now about "free and fair" elections?

BN is now busy dishing out cash in a lame attempt to win over the Sarawakians. A few days back, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin presented RM6.35 million for financial assistance to 127 mission schools throughout Sarawak.

I don't know how many Sarawakians know about this. If you are Sarawakian and/or know of other Sarawakians, let them know what kind of government BN is and what kind of tricks they play.

It is, after all, your duty as a citizen.