Overreaction
by M'sia draws global attention
M
Krishnamoorthy | 10:14AM Feb 18, 2013
"Australian
Senator Nick Xenophon visit would have not attracted international media and
global attention had he been allowed into the country on Saturday.
Australian
newspapers and the international media have been running banner headlines on
Malaysia's overreaction in detaining and deporting Xenophon.
Global
satellite TV station Al Jazzera broadcast: "Australia demands explanation
for deportation."
Quoting
former Australian PM, Kevin Rudd, the Canberra Times said: "Xenophon
detention unacceptable."
Bloomberg
headlines read: "Malaysia expels Australian senator before Anwar
meeting", while BBC news stated: "Malaysia detains Xenophon".
"Only
hours before Senator Xenophon's arrest, Mr Anwar lashed out at Foreign Minister
Bob Carr in an interview with Fairfax Media, revealing he asked in the letter
for Australia to speak out about Malaysia's rigged political system,"
National Times reported in Australia.
"Mr
Anwar said his warnings of Malaysia's rigged political system had fallen on
deaf ears."
Not
surprisingly, Canberra is livid over the deportation of one of its lawmakers
and is demanding an explanation.
Prime
Minister Julia Gillard revealed that her government made "immediate and
strenuous representations" for Xenophon to be allowed to stay in Malaysia.
Australia
has also demanded an explanation from Malaysia for why it turned away an
Australian senator from his fact-finding mission to study the country's
electoral system ahead of elections due within months, said Gillard.
"I was
surprised and disappointed to see the treatment of Senator Xenophon
yesterday," Gillard told reporters on Sunday.
"Clearly
we didn't succeed in getting the agreement of the Malaysian government for him
to remain in Malaysia. We will continue to pursue this issue with the Malaysian
government," she added.
Najib told
to explain
Xenophon, on
his return to Australia, has said he was told that the Malaysian prime
minister's office made the decision to expel him. It is now up to Prime
Minister Najib Razak to say whether he had ordered his deportation, added the
senator.
Xenophon
blamed his support for the Malaysian democracy reform group Coalition for Clean
and Fair Elections (Bersih) for the shock decision to turn him away.
"I was
told I was being deported under a certain section of the Immigration Act which
basically relates to being a security risk, but it seems the only risk I am is
to embarrassing the Malaysia government because of my advocacy for clean
elections in Malaysia," he added.
Xenophon had
planned to meet with Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, cabinet
minister Nazri Abdul Aziz, electoral officials and political activists to
discuss transparency issues for national elections that must be held by the end
of June.
Meanwhile, Immigration
director-general Alias Ahmad said in a government-issued statement that
Xenophon was barred because he attended the banned Bersih 3.0 rally last year.
"Malaysia
is a free and democratic country, but no one is above the law," he said.
"Authorities will take the appropriate action against any individual
deemed to have violated national laws."
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