Extracted from Malaysiakini

Suaram director denied entry into Sarawak

Soon Li Tsin
Aug 24, 07 12:32pm

Suaram director Dr Kua Kia Soong was denied entry into Sarawak yesterday as he is on the “blacklist for involvement in anti-logging activities”.

In a statement today, Kua said immigration officer at Kuching airport informed him of the blacklisting after screening his MyKad at nine last night.

He said the officer also knew that Kua is a former member of Parliament

Kua, principal of New Era College was visiting the state to officiate at the graduation ceremony of teachers in Kuching and Sibu who have attained college’s Diploma in Education.

The human rights NGO director has been an active campaigner against the Bakun Dam project and was a member of the fact finding mission to enquire into the conditions faced by indigenous peoples displaced from the Bakun area to Sungai Asap resettlement camp in 1998.

Kua asserted that this action by the Sarawak government is a gross violation of Malaysians' right to freedom of movement in their own country.

He also said the new identity card 'My Kad' has become the accessory of a Malaysian police state.

“This is a most serious abuse of Malaysians' human right to privacy.

"It is clear from this incident that the My Kad is now used to store updated information and to be used arbitrarily by the authorities without any explanation being given."

According to Kua, the immigration officer had divulged the reason for refusing his entry only after he persisted for it.

'Who decides? Do we know?'

The activist said he has been going in and out of the East Malaysian state using his old identity card without being refused entry.

“Clearly, the new 'smart' My Kad carries an entire dossier about every Malaysian and has given authorities new resolve to settle old scores,” the statement read.

He added that this incident shows that all information about Malaysians is used interchangeably between federal and state governments.

“For certain, all government departments have access to MyKad dossier about every Malaysian. Is this dossier also available to banks and credit companies? Who decides? Do we know?” he questioned.

Suaram also expresses its concern how those who cares for the forests, resources and indigenous peoples of Malaysia can be cast out of a Malaysian state while tycoons and politicians who rape an entire forest are feted as "towering Malaysians" and patriots.

The NGO is demanding for an explanation from the federal government regarding the information about Malaysian citizens that have been encoded in the My Kad and the extent of interchangeability of this information with other authorities and bodies.

Kua was put on a flight back to Kuala Lumpur at 9.30pm last night.