EC deputy chairman Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Omar also said that it was unjust to judge the fairness of Election 2013 based on Xenophon’s expulsion.
“I think it’s an insult to the intelligence of Malaysians,” Wan Ahmad told reporters here today.
“They don’t have to rely on the opinion of this one fellow to make a conclusion,” he said.
Xenophon was detained at the Low-Cost Carrier Terminal in Sepang this morning and will be deported later tonight. Xenophon had planned to meet Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, de facto law minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz and EC officials next week to discuss the country’s electoral system, according to Anwar’s chief of staff, Ibrahim Yaacob.
Electoral reform group Bersih 2.0 co-chair Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan has lambasted Xenophon’s deportation as a move that showed the government’s “paranoia” about the coming national polls. Several other Twitter users joined Ambiga in raining scorn on the government’s decision, with the subject spawning a hashtag #xenophon.
But Wan Ahmad stressed that there was nothing to hide as Malaysians were free to observe Election 2013.
Immigration Department director-general Datuk Alias Ahmad said earlier today that Xenophon was deported because the senator had made statements that allegedly tarnished Malaysia’s image. Alias highlighted Xenophon’s remarks about the Malaysian government being “authoritarian” in handling last April’s Bersih 3.0 rally for free and fair elections.
Xenophon, who had observed the mass protest, noted that the police had fired tear gas and chemical-laced water in what had been a largely peaceful protest. Alias added that the Australian senator was barred from entering Malaysia under the Immigration Act 8(3).
Ibrahim said today that other Australian MPs and senators, who were due to arrive here, have cancelled their plans. Wan Ahmad, however, said that the EC was willing to meet foreigners who wished to monitor the coming Election 2013 as long as they contacted the EC directly.
“I’ve never received his (Xenophon’s) call. The EC chairman also did not receive any call,” said Wan Ahmad.
He added that Xenophon had made an appointment with a senior EC official through a third party, but did not specify further. Wan Ahmad also questioned Xenophon’s intention in coming here, saying: “We don’t know what (is) the agenda in his mind.”
He urged foreigners not to disparage Malaysia’s democratic process as it was based on Malaysian law, not Australian or European law.
“I think we have laws in this country. If people don’t respect the laws, I think the majority of the rakyat will not like it,” said Wan Ahmad.
Australia’s Foreign Ministry has expressed its disappointment with Xenophon’s detention. News of Xenophon’s detention has also been picked up by international press.
“I am effectively a prisoner here,” he was quoted as saying in the Australian newspaper The Sunday Mail.
The paper reported the Australian lawmaker managed to slip through a phone call when he was left unattended in the interrogation room.
“I’m being held in an area with all these holding cells which are full of women. They have basically told me I am an enemy of the state. They are trying to get me on the next plane out of here and back home".
“I was even meeting members of the government, I mean, the whole situation is ridiculous, we are meant to be the closest of friends with Malaysia,” he told the paper.
“We are meant to be having a people swap deal on asylum seekers but so far it looks like the only person being swapped is me,” he was quoted as saying.
The paper also reported Xenophon as saying he believed a recent piece he had written for Fairfax newspapers last month, which was critical of human rights here, may be a reason for the authorities to refuse him entry.
We have laws in this country. If people don’t respect the laws, I think the majority of the rakyat will not like it. — Wan Ahmad Wan Omar
Xenophon came to Malaysia last April as an election observer after being invited by Anwar.
The Australian senator was part of a seven-member international team of election observers who later met Nazri. Despite being invited by Anwar, the group insisted they were independent, claiming that their expenses for the fact-finding mission were borne by themselves or their respective governments.
Xenophon had said that fundamental concerns regarding Malaysia’s electoral roll, campaign period, media access and other issues pertaining to electoral reforms were raised with Nazri.
The senator was portrayed by local English daily the News Straits Times (NST) last year as anti-Islam in an article that falsely quoted him as calling Islam a “criminal organisation” during his 2009 speech in Australia’s Parliament. Xenophon later said he would sue the NST after the newspaper admitted its mistake.
No comments:
Post a Comment