Adenan: No room for racists and extremists in Sarawak

MUKAH: Sarawak will bar religious extremists and racists from entering the state in order to preserve its peace and multiracial harmony.

Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem said such people were not welcome in the state.

"I have issued a statement that whoever is a religious extremist or racist, we will not allow them to enter Sarawak.

"Because we have immigration power, we will not let them in. If they are already here, we will kick them out. We cannot afford to have them here," he said when opening a seminar for community leaders and headmen here on Saturday.

He also said he intended to increase the list of people who were prohibited from entering the state so that there would be no trouble here.

"This is not arrogance on my part. Rather, it is my responsibility to look after Sarawak," he added.

Various opposition figures and activists have been blacklisted from coming into Sarawak in the past.

On Friday, Adenan had issued a statement that Sarawak would invoke its immigration power to prevent outsiders known to be "religious bigots, communal racists and troublemakers" from entering the state or to deport them if they were already here.

"This is to prevent peaceful Sarawakians from being infected by racism and religious bigotry," he said.

It is believed that Adenan's statement was in response to alleged reports that representatives of racist groups have been spotted in Sarawak of late.