Doris Jones faces statelessness after immigration refused her passport renewal

KOTA KINABALU - UK-based Sabah lawyer Doris Jones has found herself in limbo after Malaysian authorities refused to renew her passport which will expire in a few days.

Jones is currently wanted by Malaysian police after campaigning for Sabah to secede from Malaysia.

In a Facebook post, the lawyer said she had applied to renew her passport and was due to collect it yesterday, only to be told by Immigration attaché Azhar Abdul Hamid at the Malaysian High Commission in London that her pending application is being refused due to the warrant of arrest out against her.

“I did admit I want to go home to face the warrant but since they cannot renew my passport and therefore I did said, they can bring the warrant here in UK if only Malaysia regime/government are telling the truth,” she wrote in broken English on her Facebook page yesterday.

It is uncertain what Jones means exactly. Malay Mail Online was not able to reach her at the time of writing for comment.

Sabah police commissioner Datuk Jalaluddin Abdul Rahman told Malay Mail Online when contacted today that he was not informed of the latest developments.

UK-based news blog Sarawak Report reported today that Jones was given a collection slip to collect her new passport at the Malaysian High Commission in London yesterday, which is the regular procedure for Malaysians abroad when applying to renew their travel documents.

According to Sarawak Report, the officials at the High Commission refused to issue her the document and suggested she “try coming back” later.

Jones shot into the spotlight in January this year after a Facebook page she ran called “Sabah Sarawak Keluar Malaysia” surfaced, criticising government policies and promoting Sabah’s secession.

In February, police announced they have a warrant of arrest for Jones under her registered name as Doris Yapp Kim Young, 45, for sedition. Her last known address was listed as in the Federal Territory of Labuan.

Jalaluddin was previously reported as saying the local police would seek Interpol’s help to find Jones in the UK where she is said to be residing.

However, British law does not recognise the crime for which she is wanted in Malaysia.

Since then however, the police have conceded they are not able to extradite Jones and can only act against her when she returns to the country.

Jones has repeatedly denied being contacted by Malaysian authorities or Interpol in the UK.