Deported for supporting Chinese education
Ng Boon HooiPublished: Jan 18, 2001 10:02 AM | Updated: Jan 29, 2008 6:21 PM
An education activist who has been staying in Sarawak for 23 years is said to have been deported by the state authorities for upholding the cause of Chinese education in Sarawak.
Tan Seng Hin, 60, a contractor for oil and gas onshore construction, originally from Malacca, was deported from Sarawak without being given any reason by the Sarawak Immigration Department on Jan 6.
The state's Immigration Department sent a notice dated Dec 13, 2000 informing him that his entry pass valid till Feb 2001 had been canceled and he had to leave Sarawak within 14 days. He would not be allowed to re-enter Sarawak.
"Until now, they (the Immigration Department) have failed to offer any reasons for asking me to leave. They have only indicated the order came from the 'boss'," said Tan when contacted by malaysiakini today.
Tan had appealed to stay back to spend the Chinese New Year with his family (Jan 24-25) but his appeal was rejected.
"I have not said anything on politics and government policies, I only commented on issues related to Chinese independent schools, culture and education," Tan said.
'Negative' opinion
Tan suspected that his deportation might be connected to his comment about the Riam Road Middle School, which had its teaching medium changed last year from Mandarin to English, maintaining Mandarin only as a subject.
He said the move seemed to prepare the students for future enrolment at the Miri campus of the Curtin University of Western Australia.
"The change in the medium will change the identity of the Chinese school; it is no more a Chinese school," said Tan.
He stressed what he did is was merely to protect Chinese education, but he never went against the establishment of the Curtin University campus.
Furthermore, he added, his stand was not his individual opinion, but the collective opinion of the Hainan Clan Association of which he is secretary.
"Our opinion may have been negative to the leaders of the ruling parties; it may be seen as an obstacle to the project," said Tan who is currently in Kuala Lumpur.
Tan has served as secretary of his clan association since 1995 and is also a board member of the Pei Min Private Middle School.
Tan believed that his deportation had nothing to do with the state's internal security.
He hoped the authorities would either offer an explanation for his deportation or renew his pass, which would enable him to celebrate the Chinese New Year with his family in Miri.
Tan Seng Hin, 60, a contractor for oil and gas onshore construction, originally from Malacca, was deported from Sarawak without being given any reason by the Sarawak Immigration Department on Jan 6.
The state's Immigration Department sent a notice dated Dec 13, 2000 informing him that his entry pass valid till Feb 2001 had been canceled and he had to leave Sarawak within 14 days. He would not be allowed to re-enter Sarawak.
"Until now, they (the Immigration Department) have failed to offer any reasons for asking me to leave. They have only indicated the order came from the 'boss'," said Tan when contacted by malaysiakini today.
Tan had appealed to stay back to spend the Chinese New Year with his family (Jan 24-25) but his appeal was rejected.
"I have not said anything on politics and government policies, I only commented on issues related to Chinese independent schools, culture and education," Tan said.
'Negative' opinion
Tan suspected that his deportation might be connected to his comment about the Riam Road Middle School, which had its teaching medium changed last year from Mandarin to English, maintaining Mandarin only as a subject.
He said the move seemed to prepare the students for future enrolment at the Miri campus of the Curtin University of Western Australia.
"The change in the medium will change the identity of the Chinese school; it is no more a Chinese school," said Tan.
He stressed what he did is was merely to protect Chinese education, but he never went against the establishment of the Curtin University campus.
Furthermore, he added, his stand was not his individual opinion, but the collective opinion of the Hainan Clan Association of which he is secretary.
"Our opinion may have been negative to the leaders of the ruling parties; it may be seen as an obstacle to the project," said Tan who is currently in Kuala Lumpur.
Tan has served as secretary of his clan association since 1995 and is also a board member of the Pei Min Private Middle School.
Tan believed that his deportation had nothing to do with the state's internal security.
He hoped the authorities would either offer an explanation for his deportation or renew his pass, which would enable him to celebrate the Chinese New Year with his family in Miri.
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