Sarawak DAP has condemned the barring of its peninsula-based party members from entering the state, describing the ban as an abuse of power. This morning, Ooi Leng Hang, a Selangor-based party staff member, was detained by the state’s immigration authorities at the Kuching International Airport. He has been put on the next return flight.

This followed the barring of Kulai MP Teo Nie Ching last night. In both cases, authorities gave no reasons for the ban other than both party members were on a certain blacklist.

Sarawak exercises immigration autonomy as part of an 18-point agreement when Malaysia was formed in 1963. Opposition lawmakers have charged that the policy has been abused by the state BN government, and that lawmakers were legally permitted to carry out political activities under the agreement.