After more than a month of waiting, the
family of Abdul Mutalib Taib, has learnt that he was deported last
Friday.
The 47-year-old Indonesian with Permanent Resident (PR)
status was earlier held at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA)
Immigration Depot while his lawyer filed two appeals to allow him to
remain in Malaysia with his family.
But the family�s fears have
come true.
His lawyer, Charles Hector, told The Malay Mail
yesterday that Abdul Mutalib�s wife, Romita Hasibuan, learnt by chance
that her husband had been deported.
�She called her family in
Tanjung Balai Asahan, Indonesia, on Sunday to check on matters when she
was informed that her husband was there,� he said.
�In their
conversation, Abdul Mutalib told her that he was taken out of the depot
about 11am last Friday.
�Five Immigration officers drove him to the
airport and he was put on a Malaysia Airlines flight direct to Medan about
1pm,� he said.
�He told his wife that one of the officers consoled
him by saying that his wife could still appeal on his behalf to get his
identity card back.�
Hector said he then tried to contact the
Immigration Department on why his client was prematurely deported, but was
unable to reach anyone at the department.
Immigration Department
enforcement chief Datuk Ishak Mohamed confirmed yesterday that Abdul
Mutalib had been deported.
However, he was unable to confirm
whether his family could face deportation as well.
He said they
are still investigating the matter.
Abdul Mutalib, 47, was nabbed
on March 23 by Immigration officers for illegally staying back after his
PR status was revoked in 1996.
He was arrested when he turned up at
the National Registration Department�s offices to apply for his eldest
son�s identity card.
It was reported that NRD Investigations and
Enforcement unit director Datin Habsah Wahid had said Abdul Mutalib's PR
was revoked under Section 8(3)(k) of the Immigration Act 1959/63
(Amendment 2002).
The reason for the order is not
known.
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