PETALING JAYA: MCA Youth has criticised the Immigration Department’s move to ban Malaysians who ridicule the government from travelling overseas for three years.
Its young professionals bureau chairman, Eric Choo Wei Sern, said constructive criticisms towards the Government should be allowed as long as it is not “subversive to the existing constitution”.
“The MCA Youth Young Professionals Bureau is of the view that the government of the day must respect its citizens' freedom of expression and promote healthy democracy,” Choo said in a statement, Thursday, in response to an article in The Star which quoted an immigration source as saying that the ban had been enforced several months ago.
Choo said that Deputy Home Minister Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed’s statement that the issuance of passports is a privilege and not a right, further worsened the situation.
He said the Government should act fairly when considering passport applications or renewals and should rarely refuse to grant them.
He added that it was important for the government to allow people to form their own opinions and express them. He noted that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak once said that “the days when the government knows best are over”.
“In this vein, we condemn any move to restrict or restrain anyone from making any constructive criticism, including any move to bar Malaysians from leaving the country for discrediting or ridiculing the government, as this will create an unhealthy democracy,” he said.
The Star’s exclusive report on Wednesday quoted Immigration director-general Datuk Sakib Kusmi as confirming the existence of such a provision.
He also said that Malaysians who are barred from travelling abroad have the right to challenge the decision in court.
The issue came to light after Bersih 4 chairman Maria Chin Abdullah was barred from travelling overseas to accept a human rights award on Sunday.
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