SHAH ALAM, 20 Jan: The Opposition Leader, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim demanded explanation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the “latest report” which allegedly prevented him from entering Japan yesterday morning.
Anwar said that he arrived at Narita International Airport at 6.45 this morning from Kuala Lumpur but was barred from entry by the Japanese immigration authorities and was told to board the first flight back home or face deportation.
When I asked why I was not allowed to enter, they told me that it was because of my previous conviction in 1999.
“I told them this could not be a valid reason on account of the fact that prior to this I had already entered Tokyo without hindrance on three previous occasions in 2006, 2009, and 2012.
“As I persisted in asking for an explanation, they finally told me that they had to take this action “because of a latest report” possibly in 2013,” he said in a statement.
He then had no choice but to take the next flight home at 10.45 am.
Anwar had gone to Tokyo on a personal invitation by Mr Sasakawa, Chairman of the Nippon Foundation, to present a paper on Muslim Democrats.
As a routine pre-travel procedure, his office had made inquiries with the Japanese Embassy in Kuala Lumpur last week and was informed that there would be no issues outstanding which would be an impediment to his entering the country.
The Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) de facto leader also strongly protested in the strongest terms this unwarranted action of the Japanese government in refusing his entry and denying his legitimate rights to travel freely without let or hindrance.
“It is indeed inconceivable for one of the world’s leading democracies to take this unprecedented action under such tenuous grounds and leaves me with the impression that hidden hands may be at work here,” he said.
