LETTER | Guan Eng targeted again? Stop passing the buck - be truthful

LETTER | It’s the same old story - never speak the truth! Often times, the media is blamed that so-and-so was misquoted or that it wasn’t meant that way.

Either we have journalists who apparently can’t report accurately or we have politicians who can’t say what they mean to say. Very often, the problem emanates from the politicians. But they will very strenuously deny they are responsible.

Be that as it may, in this latest episode we have another example of passing the buck. On Sept 1, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng landed at the Sabah airport and was cleared by immigration. As he was about to get into a car, he was stopped and asked to go back to the airport by a senior Immigration Department official. Naturally, Lim co-operated.

After about 20 minutes, when he wanted to know what was happening, according to him, immigration officers informed him that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) had barred him from entering the state.

This comes as a complete shock to Malaysians who are aware of the terms of entry for Sabah and Sarawak when the territories joined Malaysia. They have complete control over who comes into and goes out of these states. Those wishing to enter need to get a clearance pass – and Lim was actually given a social visit pass by the immigration.

Since Sabah has sole authority to control those coming into Sabah, no other authority has this right to impose any restriction regarding entrance into Sabah.

At the time when Lim arrived at the Sabah airport, there was no restriction on him. In fact, caretaker chief minister, Shafie Apdal, was surprised – and shocked as well, I might add – that Lim was barred from entering Sabah.

Shafie disclosed that since the change of government after the May 2018 general election, the state had lifted previous bans imposed on several political personalities from entering the state. Those bans were unjustly imposed by the BN government on opposition politicians.

"When I took over as chief minister, after two days, I signed (the order) to exclude them (from the ban list)," said Shafie.

So, there was no ban on Lim. Why then did the Immigration Department act to refuse entrance for him? On what authority did they initially act to prevent him from coming to Sabah?

It is true that Lim is facing corruption charges. We all know that he has been targeted and has been recently charged on three counts of alleged corruption.

If corruption was the excuse to deny entrance, then explain how a convicted felon like former president Najib Abdul Razak and Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi who is facing a battery of corruption charges were allowed to enter and leave Sabah freely? Doesn’t it smack of double standards?

Now, let’s address the mystery as to what authority the Immigration Department acted with.

According to Lim, immigration officers informed him that MACC had barred him from entering the state.

This claim is believable. Without instruction, immigration couldn’t have acted.

Surprisingly, the MACC and the Immigration Department were oblivious to the fact that they had no authority to prevent anyone from entering Sabah. Nonetheless, they acted illegally – and without care.

But hold on, there is more mystery! However, when contacted by Malaysiakini, MACC chief Azam Baki said this was not true.

"There is no domestic (restriction). The court only impounded his passport so he cannot leave the country. He can enter Sabah using his IC," Azam told Malaysiakini in a text message.

Then who is not telling the truth? This cannot be allowed to rest without getting to the bottom of the truth. Someone had acted illegally. We need to identify this culprit and he must be punished for acting beyond his authority. Let heads roll, if need be, in the interest of truth and justice.

Let’s be mindful of the saying, “Wherever law ends, tyranny begins.”