“In these circumstances, it is clear that Doris will, if she returns, have to contend with a system that is strongly motivated against her — the authorities are determined to prosecute and convict her,” he said.
The lawyer, who is also the counsel for the four Sabah Sarawak Keluar Malaysia volunteers who were recently charged for sedition, explained, however, that cancelling Jones’s passport only restricts her ability to travel but does not strip her of her Malaysian citizenship.
“The sedition charge and the act of cancelling her passport is to me, evidence of persecution, which could assist Doris Jones in the event that she decides to seek asylum in the UK.
“At this stage, seeking asylum seems the safest course of action for her,” he said, adding that human rights laws in the UK would be favourable to her.
Former chief minister and lawyer Datuk Yong Teck Lee also agreed said that Malaysian authorities cannot deny a citizen the right to his or her passport, nor prevent them from returning to their home country.
“Whether the passport holder might be arrested or detained for investigation upon return to Malaysia or not is another matter. But the citizen has a right to a passport.
“Denying her her passport only makes the Malaysian government look ridiculous. It is denial of her human rights to return to Malaysia,” he said, referring to the International Criminal Police Organisation.
The Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) president said the Malaysian authorities should allow Jones to renew her passport if they wanted her to return to be arrested.
“It would be safe to assume Jones will be making a trip home eventually to tend to her elderly parents,” he said.
He also said Jones will likely be able to get a permanent residency in the UK due to her past marriage to a British citizen but she will become the first Sabahan being forced into exile by Putrajaya and not allowed home to Sabah.
No comments:
Post a Comment