Let travellers check entry status before flying to Sarawak, state govt urged
The Advocates Association of Sarawak is calling for a system that allows travelers to check their entry status before booking flights to the state. This follows the recent barring of an activist from entering Sarawak, sparking debate over the state's immigration autonomy.
Why it matters
It addresses the tension between regional immigration autonomy and the rights of individuals to travel and receive due process.
Sarawak’s immigration autonomy is a protected, non-negotiable right enshrined in the Malaysia Agreement 1963, the Immigration Act and the Federal Constitution. (Facebook pic)
PETALING JAYA: An advocates' association has suggested that travellers intending to fly to Sarawak be allowed to check whether they are barred from entering the state before purchasing a ticket.
Advocates Association of Sarawak president Gurvir Singh Sandhu said there was currently no way for travellers to check if they had been barred from entering the state.
Speaking to FMT, he said travellers should not have to find out that they have been barred only upon arrival at the airport.
Gurvir Singh Sandhu.
"Allowing travellers to check whether they are allowed to enter Sarawak would not diminish the state’s immigration autonomy," he said, adding that those barred from entering should be allowed to appeal.
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