On Friday, Guan Eng’s father, DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang, was allowed through Immigration at Miri airport, but DAP organising secretary Anthony Loke was barred and deported to Kuala Lumpur. Several others from the party were similarly denied entry in the past weeks.

On Tuesday, Guan Eng had written to Sarawak chief minister Adenan Satem on Tuesday, appealing to Adenan to stop the entry ban on Peninsula-based opposition politicians. He also gave advance notice to Sarawak Immigration yesterday of his plans to fly to Kuching today.

He and Chow left Penang on AirAsia’s flight AK5432 arriving in Kuching at 9.10am, media reports said.

In past weeks Kulai MP Teo Nie Ching, and a graphic designer were deported on arrival in Sarawak. The state has also barred Umno grassroots leader Jamal Yunos of the Red Shirts movement.

Adenan has said that the state was preventing “extremists” from entering Sarawak especially during the state’s general election campaign this month. Lim has said that Sarawak could not bar anyone from entering the state for “legitimate political activities”.