“These types of arbitrary travel bans should not be happening in a country like Malaysia, especially if the government claims to be progressive and democratic,” said Wan Saiful in a statement today.

Wan Saiful also said the ban violated the public’s fundamental democratic right to both express support and criticism of the government’s policies and actions without fear of recrimination or reprisals.

He also criticised Immigration Director-General Sakib Kusmi’s statement that passports were a privilege and not a right, arguing that it went against the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948.

“The freedom of movement which includes the right to travel is a universal human right,” said Wan Saiful.

“The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948, which the Malaysian government has claimed to adopt and uphold, specifies that everyone has the right to leave the country and to return.”

This ban, Wan Saiful said, was only going to create public resentment towards the government, besides making Malaysia look bad internationally.

“North Korea is one of the countries who have strict travel controls on all citizens and especially on those who are considered as dissidents. We shouldn’t be moving towards that direction,” he cautioned.