KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has directed the Deputy Inspector-General of Police to review the travel ban imposed on controversial graphic artist and activist Fahmi Reza.
He said the Madani government upholds individual freedoms as long as they do not threaten national security or violate existing laws.
“Therefore, the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) must provide further explanation on this matter,” he said in a statement on Sunday (June 8), adding that the Prime Minister’s Office will continue monitoring the case accordingly.
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The statement came a day after Fahmi revealed on his social media that he was stopped by Immigration officers at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) before boarding a flight to Singapore on Saturday (June 7) morning.
Fahmi said he had planned a short trip to attend a punk concert but was informed that Bukit Aman had barred him from leaving the country. He was later escorted out of the departure hall.
This incident followed an earlier travel restriction imposed by Sabah authorities on May 29, when Fahmi was denied entry into the state, allegedly due to a caricature he had drawn criticising the appointment of Tun Musa Aman as Sabah’s Yang di-Pertua Negeri (TYT).
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In late 2024, Fahmi also got into trouble with the authorities for insulting the then incoming 11th TYT, depicting Musa in a caricature deemed offensive by the Keningau Native Court.
Fahmi, who turned 47 on the day he was stopped at KLIA, said he was not given a clear reason for the ban and was advised to seek clarification from the police.
