Sarawak deportee seeks deputy chief ministers help
Ng Boon HooiPublished: Mar 1, 2001 11:37 AM | Updated: Jan 29, 2008 6:21 PM
A Chinese educationist whose entry pass to Sarawak was cancelled in January is now hoping that Sarawak's deputy chief minister will intervene on his behalf to allow him to return to the state to see his family.
Tan Seng Hin, 60, a contractor for oil and gas onshore construction, was deported from Sarawak by the Sarawak Immigration Department on Jan 6 without any reason given ([#1]Deported for supporting Chinese education[/#], Jan 18).
The department sent a notice dated Dec 13, 2000 informing him that his entry pass which was valid up to February this year had been cancelled and he had to leave Sarawak within 14 days. In addition, he was told that he would not be allowed to re-enter Sarawak.
Originally from Melaka, Tan, who had been in Sarawak for 23 years, has served as secretary of the Hainan Association of Miri since 1995 and is also a board member of the Pei Min Private Middle School.
According to the association's chairman Jimmy Wee, Deputy Chief Minister George Chan has said at a function organised by the fraternity recently that he was concerned about Tan's case and would try to help him.
"Chan stressed that the issue had nothing to do with politics," Wee said, adding that until now, no one knows the real reason for the deportation, not even Sarawak's assistant director of immigration, who only acted as ordered.
Political motive
However, Keadilan Miri's adviser Dr TeoYu Keng believe that Tan's deportation was due to his active involvement in defending Chinese education.
When contacted, Tan told malaysiakini that he suspected that his deportation might be connected to his criticism of the Riam Road Middle School, which had its teaching medium changed last year from Mandarin to English.
Now in Kuala Lumpur, he is also hoping to bring up the issue of his deportation to Deputy Home Minister Chor Chee Heung and human rights body Suaram.
Tan also believed that his case might be connected to the upcoming state election, which is due before September this year.
"They are afraid that the Chinese swing in the Lunas by-election will affect Miri's Chinese community as Keadilan has already started campaigning in that town," said Tan.
Tan Seng Hin, 60, a contractor for oil and gas onshore construction, was deported from Sarawak by the Sarawak Immigration Department on Jan 6 without any reason given ([#1]Deported for supporting Chinese education[/#], Jan 18).
The department sent a notice dated Dec 13, 2000 informing him that his entry pass which was valid up to February this year had been cancelled and he had to leave Sarawak within 14 days. In addition, he was told that he would not be allowed to re-enter Sarawak.
Originally from Melaka, Tan, who had been in Sarawak for 23 years, has served as secretary of the Hainan Association of Miri since 1995 and is also a board member of the Pei Min Private Middle School.
According to the association's chairman Jimmy Wee, Deputy Chief Minister George Chan has said at a function organised by the fraternity recently that he was concerned about Tan's case and would try to help him.
"Chan stressed that the issue had nothing to do with politics," Wee said, adding that until now, no one knows the real reason for the deportation, not even Sarawak's assistant director of immigration, who only acted as ordered.
Political motive
However, Keadilan Miri's adviser Dr TeoYu Keng believe that Tan's deportation was due to his active involvement in defending Chinese education.
When contacted, Tan told malaysiakini that he suspected that his deportation might be connected to his criticism of the Riam Road Middle School, which had its teaching medium changed last year from Mandarin to English.
Now in Kuala Lumpur, he is also hoping to bring up the issue of his deportation to Deputy Home Minister Chor Chee Heung and human rights body Suaram.
Tan also believed that his case might be connected to the upcoming state election, which is due before September this year.
"They are afraid that the Chinese swing in the Lunas by-election will affect Miri's Chinese community as Keadilan has already started campaigning in that town," said Tan.
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