KUALA LUMPUR: Police have confirmed that there is no travel ban against controversial graphic artist and activist Fahmi Reza.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain stated that Fahmi’s name had only been placed on the police’s movement monitoring list for internal reference due to an ongoing investigation.
"This listing does not amount to a travel ban. It is part of standard monitoring procedures commonly carried out by the authorities," he said in a statement on Sunday (June 8).
He said that there was some confusion over the matter during the verification process at an Immigration checkpoint on Saturday (June 7).
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"This situation is currently being reviewed and appropriate steps will be taken to streamline existing procedures," he said.
Razarudin added that the police remains committed to safeguarding the right to freedom of movement for all Malaysians.
"The individual in question remains free to travel in and out of the country as usual, subject to regulations set by the Immigration Department and other applicable laws," he said.
The clarification came after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim directed the Deputy Inspector-General of Police to review the case, following Fahmi’s public statement that he was stopped by immigration officers at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) on Saturday.
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Anwar, in a statement on Sunday, said the government upholds individual freedoms as long as they do not threaten national security or breach existing laws, and called on the police to provide a full explanation.
Fahmi had posted on social media that he was prevented from boarding a flight to Singapore, where he planned to attend a punk concert.
He was informed that Bukit Aman had barred him from leaving the country and was later escorted out of the departure hall.
The incident followed an earlier travel restriction imposed by Sabah authorities on May 29, when Fahmi was denied entry into the state, allegedly over a caricature criticising the appointment of Tun Musa Aman as Sabah’s Yang di-Pertua Negeri (TYT).
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In late 2024, Fahmi also drew scrutiny from authorities for a separate caricature of Musa, which was deemed offensive by the Keningau Native Court.
Fahmi, who turned 47 on the day he was stopped at KLIA, also claimed that he was not given a clear reason for the travel block and was advised to seek clarification from the police.
