KUALA LUMPUR: The Immigration Department says there is no travel restriction placed on an individual who said he was barred from leaving the country on June 6.
Immigration director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban said that the individual is free to go abroad.
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"However, restrictions on entry into the state of Sabah are still in effect as directed by relevant state authorities," he said in a statement on Friday (June 13).
The department also acknowledged confusion arising from discrepancies between the Bahasa Malaysia and English versions of its travel status check portal, he said.
"This occurred because the English version of the site is currently undergoing updates," it said, adding that the English portal has now been temporarily taken offline.
He said internal technical checks are being carried out to ensure the accuracy and consistency of information displayed across all language versions of the site to prevent further misunderstanding,
"We reaffirm our commitment to carrying out our responsibilities in accordance with the law, guided by the principles of transparency and professionalism in all aspects of service delivery," he added.
Controversial graphic artist and activist Fahmi Reza (pic) had claimed on social media that he was stopped by Immigration officers at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) before boarding a flight to Singapore recently.
Fahmi said he was informed that Bukit Aman had barred him from leaving the country.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain later said 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).
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).
