Instead, Petra Jaya MP and Works Minister Fadillah Yusof reasoned, the ban may be the result of Mohamad Sabu’s previous statements that some have deemed to be insensitive to certain quarters.

Members of the Opposition had labelled the move as one which was politically motivated and meant to block voices of dissent from being spread in the country’s largest state.

“If it was a political move, why are there non-political individuals barred from Sarawak?

“Ibrahim Ali was not allowed entry, neither is Ridhuan Tee. The latter is definitely not involved in politics.

“It was actually due to his (Mohamad Sabu) statements that can be quite sensitive and can also disrupt the harmony of Sarawakians.

“Perhaps it is due to this reason that the state government issued the directive,” said Fadillah to reporters at the Parliament lobby here today.

Mohamad Sabu was barred from entering Sarawak when he landed at Sibu airport yesterday morning. He said no reasons were given, except that the order came from the chief minister’s office.

Several other Opposition leaders are also on the blacklist, including Nurul Izzah Anwar, Tian Chua, Zuraida Kamarudin, Teresa Kok and Tony Pua.

Fadillah said these blacklisted individuals should reflect on themselves and work towards being responsible citizens, prioritising race and religious harmony over all else.

“This is especially so in Sarawak where its background is so complex in terms of the relationship between the different races.”