George Chan should produce proof of the four allegations against  Tan Seng Hin to show how  was “ungrateful”, threat to local community harmony,  “incited the local population and criticised the state government action in his capacity as Miri Hainan Association secretary” to justify his deportation and ban from Sarawak

Media Conference Statement 2
by Lim Kit Siang 

(Petaling Jaya, Wednesday): In keeping with his promise in Parliament, the Deputy Home Affairs Minister  Datuk Zainal Abidin Zin yesterday gave  a written answer to the DAP MP for Seputeh Teresa Kok to elaborate on his answer during Monday’s question-time  that  23-year Sarawak resident  Tan Seng Hin was an “extremist” during his stay in Sarawak resulting in his deportation and ban from re-entry to be re-united with his family in Miri.

Zainal’s written reply said:
 

“PAS lawatan Encik Tan Seng Hin @ Tan Wa Min telah dibatalkan oleh pihak Imigresen Negeri Sarawak dan seterusnya beliau dikehendaki meninggalkan negeri tersebut disebabkan Pihak Berkuasa Negeri (Sarawak) berpuashati bahawa kehadiranya disana boleh menjejas keharmonian masyarakat tempatan.

“Pada 7 November 2000 Pihak Berkuasa Negeri Sarawak telah memutusakan supaya Pas Lawatan (Sosial) sabjek dibatalkan dan beliau dekehendaki meninggalkan Sarawak serta tidak dibenarkan masuk semula ke negeri tersebut selama satu tahun mulai 6 Disember 2000 setelah Pihak Berkuasa Negeri Sarawak berpuashati bahawa kehadiran beliau di Sarawak telah melanggar syarat-syarat Pas Lawatan (Sosial) yang dikeluarkan kepadanya.

“Tindakan Jabatan Imigresen Sarawak membatalkan Pas Lawatan (Sosial) Encik Tan Seng Hin dan mengarahkan beliau meninggalkan negeri Sarawak adalah selaras dengan peruntukan di bawah Sek. 65(1) Akta Imigresen 1959/1963 dimana Pengarah Imigresen Negeri (Sarawak) hendaklah mematuhi apa-apa arahan yang diberikan kepadanya oleh Pihak Berkuasa Negeri iaitu arahan-arahan

(a)  menghendaki supaya tidak mengeluarkan sesuatu Permit atau Pas, atau diskripsi yang ditentukan tentang Permit atau Pas kepada mana-mana orang atau golongan orang yang tertentu, atau supaya berbuat demikian hanya untuk tempoh tertentu atau atas terma-terma dan syarat-syarat yang tertentu;

(b)  menghadkan perbuatan pengendorsan atas Permit, Pas atau Perakuan, atau;
 
(c)  menghendakinya supaya menjalankan apa-apa budi bicara yang terletak hak kepadanya bagi membatalkan apa-apa Permit, Pas atau Sijil yang dikeluarkan kepada orang tertentu, atau disifatkan sebagai orang tertentu sebagai imigran yang tidak diingini, atau untuk mengistiharkan bahawa kehadiran seseorang tertentu di Negeri Malaysia Timur (Sarawak) adalah menyalahi undang-undang atau untuk memerintahkan supaya orang tertentu dipindahkan daripada negeri itu (Sarawak).

“Pihak Berkuasa Kerajaan Negeri Sarawak melalui Jabatan Imigresen Negeri Sarawak memaklumkan bahawa pihaknya tidak perlu (not oblige) untuk memaklumkan sebab-sebab Pas Lawatan (Sosial) sabjek, iaitu Encik Tan Seng Hin @ Tan Wa Min dibatalkan dan perlu meninggalkan negeri Sarawak.

“Pihak Berkuasa Negeri Sarawak dipercayai mengambil tindakan membatalkan Pas sabjek kerana beliau didapati ‘tidak tahu berterima kasih’ kepada negeri Sarawak yang telah membenarkan beliau tinggal di Sarawak selama ini (lebih 20 tahun). Sabjek dipercayai telah menghasut penduduk setempat, mengkritik tindakan Kerajaan Negeri melalui Persatuan Hainan, Miri (sabjek adalah Setiausaha Persatuan Hainan, Miri).”


In his written reply, Zainal had elaborated on what he meant by Tan’s  “extreme actions” while staying in Miri resulting in the Sarawak state government’s  decision to deport and  ban him from Sarawak  and  the forcible break-up of  his family  in Miri, but it is most unfortunate that Zainal has failed to give a single instance to substantiate the serious allegations made against Tan.

Tan’s “extreme actions” while staying in Miri belong have now been expanded to four allegations, namely:
 


George Chan should give full  details and proof of these four allegations against Tan Seng Hin as to how he had been prejudicial to the harmony of the lcoal community, ungrateful to the state government,  incited the local population and criticised the state government action in his capacity as Miri Hainan Association secretary to justify his deportation and ban from Sarawak and forcible break-up with his family in Miri.

Up to now, the Sarawak state government has not been able to give a single iota of evidence to substantiate anyone of these four allegations.

All that Tan had done as  Miri Hainan Association Secretary was to represent the Association to criticise the change in the teaching medium and character  of the Riam Road Middle School as one of the 60 Chinese Independent Secondary Schools in the country to become a feeder school to  prepare the students for future enrolment at the Miri campus of the Curtin University of Western Australia.

Is this defined as action detrimental to local community harmony, ingratitude to the Sarawak state government, incitement of local population and criticism of the Sarawak state government to justify deportation and ban from Sarawak?

If George Chan cannot come up with any evidence to substantiate these four allegations, then it is the strongest proof that the Sarawak state government had acted capriciously and arbitrarily in the misuse of state immigration autonomy powers and guilty of gross human rights violation and breach of the rule of law in Tan’s case.

I want to make it very clear that I have not criticised the Sarawak state government’s state immigration autonomy, but its abuse of powers over the state immigration autonomy.

If George Chan cannot give any instance to substantiate the four allegations against Tan, I call on the SUPP Cabinet Ministers and State Assemblymen to ensure that justice is done in the Tan Seng Hin case and get the ban on his re-entry to Sarawak revoked so that he could  be reunited with his family in Miri.

(11/4/2001)

*Lim Kit Siang - DAP National Chairman