EnglishSection
Mykad: Suaram Director refused entry into Sarawak
Dr Kua Kia Soong, a director of SUARAM was denied entry
into Sarawak at 9pm, 23 August 2007. Kua, who is also principal of the
community-funded New Era College , was on his way to officiate the graduation
ceremony of teachers who have attained the New Era College Diploma in Education
at Kuching and Sibu.
After screening Kua's MyKad, the immigration officer at Kuching airport
informed him that he had been refused entry into Sarawak because he is on the
"blacklist for involvement in anti-logging activities". From the computer
reading of Kua's MyKad, the officer also knew that Kua is a former member of
parliament.
Dr Kua 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.
This action by the Sarawak state government is a gross violation of Malaysians'
right to freedom of movement in their own country. How can we celebrate fifty
years of independence when our state governments can arbitrarily decide to deny
a Malaysian the sovereign right to move freely in their own country?
More insidious is the way the new Malaysian 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. The immigration officer had at
first refused to divulge the reason for refusing entry to Kua. The reason was
only forced out of the officer through persistent demands by Kua.
In recent years, Kua has been going in and out of Sarawak 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!
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?
As we reach the 50th anniversary of independence, we grieve the death of our
right to privacy and the coming of age of a Malaysian police state. We baulk at
the fact that one 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. This
brings to mind Samuel Johnson observation that "Patriotism is the last refuge
of the scoundrel!"
Suaram condemns the Sarawak government for this arbitrary exercise of state
power to refuse entry to a Malaysian who has been actively concerned to protect
Sarawakian forests, resources and indigenous peoples' rights.
Suaram calls 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.
Suaram calls on the Malaysian people to demand accountability from their
government regarding the invasion of their right to privacy and an end to the
makings of a police state in Malaysia.
Dr Kua Kia Soong
Director
SUARAM
24th August
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