He named the Immigration Department’s director-general, home minister and government as respondents in the judicial review filed this morning at the Kuala Lumpur High Court.

Zunar, or Zulkifli SM Anwarul Haque, is also seeking several court declarations, namely that the ban violated his constitutional rights, that all three respondents had no power to restrict him from travelling abroad, and that the decision was made beyond their powers.

Zunar was barred from attending a forum in Singapore on October 17 when Immigration officers at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport told him he was on a travel blacklist.

They allegedly told him that the order to ban him from travelling overseas came from the Inspector-General of Police.

“This (ban) is definitely an abuse of power by the government and was done in bad faith to stop me from doing my work,” he told reporters then.

Due to the ban, Zunar also missed art exhibitions he was invited to in Switzerland and Australia.