KUALA LUMPUR, June 8 — Graphic artist and activist Fahmi Reza has criticised the government over his recent overseas travel ban, saying no authorities have taken responsibility for the incident.
In a strongly worded statement posted on Facebook, Fahmi said despite government claims that there was “no official travel restriction” against him, he was still barred from leaving the country due to what authorities described as a “confusion during an immigration check”.
“I don’t see any government body owning up to the mistake that resulted in the restriction of my freedom of movement,” he said.
“You keep saying there is ‘no official ban’. But in reality, I was still blocked and denied my right to travel,” he added.
Fahmi questioned the government’s accountability, saying he had lost time and money because of the incident, yet no agency had taken the blame.
He also pointed out the double standards in how regular citizens are swiftly prosecuted for offences, whereas authorities often escape responsibility.
“This time, it’s the people’s turn to drag those in power to court,” Fahmi said.
He insisted that no government or authority is above the law and that citizens should not be afraid to challenge injustice.
“You always tell me to ‘use the right channel’, don’t you? Fine, see you in court,” he said.
The travel issue came to light after Fahmi was reportedly prevented from boarding an international flight yesterday.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had earlier denied the existence of a blacklist order against Fahmi, saying there was no directive from the government to restrict his movement.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain similarly stated that police did not issue any instruction to bar Fahmi from leaving the country and attributed the matter to possible confusion at the immigration checkpoint.
