Bersih takes Sarawak Immigration to task for denying medical treatment for academician
KUALA LUMPUR: The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih 2.0) has taken the Sarawak Immigration Department to task for denying medical treatment for its resource person Dr Wong Chin Huat.
The electoral watchdog said the academician was denied medical attention by Immigration officers at the Kuching Airport after his blood pressure shot up to 194/110, a hypertensive crisis level.
“Despite numerous requests for help by Wong, the officers ignored him. In desperation, he had to personally appeal to the Health Minister, Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad by phone for help and the Minister immediately contacted a doctor in Kuching who came to Wong's aid, more than two hours after his medical crisis.
“Only through further intervention of Works Minister, Baru Bian, was his hospitalisation was agreed by the state,” said Bersih 2.0 in statement today.
The non-governmental organisation said Wong has since largely recovered following treatment at the Kuching General Hospital and will be discharged to fly home.
“Bersih 2.0 questions if the callousness of the Immigration officers on duty was because the Sarawak State Government has ordered the Immigration Department to carry out its order at all cost, even if human lives are at risk,” it added.
Wong was in Sarawak as a member of the Electoral Reform Committee (ERC), a special committee setup under the Prime Minister's Department.
The Engage chairperson was also barred from entering the state as he was on Sarawak's "no entry list", when he landed at the airport at 4pm.
However, under Section 68(1) of the Immigration Act he has a right to enter as the provision states "any citizen whose entry into the East Malaysian State is temporarily required by the Federal Government in order to enable that Government to carry out its constitutional and administrative responsibilities".
The Immigration Act that grants Sarawak and Sabah the right to deny entry to any non-residents of the East Malaysian states was never intended to restrict legitimate political activities nor to curb representatives of the Federal government from carrying out their duties. Section 67 and 68 of the Act expressly permits such groups.
“Bersih 2.0 calls on the Sarawak state government to review the ban list and lift all bans on politicians and social activists as they violate the letter and spirit of the Immigration Act and the Malaysia Agreement. Not doing so would mean an abuse of state power for narrow political gains,” it added.
This article first appeared in NST on 15 November 2019.
