He said the examination was in accordance with standard procedures after the Malaysian government received a request from the Cambodian government to send home those listed in a letter.
‘’Actually, all the (Cambodian opposition party leaders) who arrived in Malaysia were not detained.
“They underwent certain processes by our authorities at the airport. That is the normal standard operating procedure (SOP). Cambodia gave us a list of the names of the political figures because their parties had been banned.
‘’They (Cambodian government) had requested us to send them back to Cambodia, if they arrived in our country,’’ he said when met by Bernama after giving a group ceramah in conjunction with the Tanjung Piai parliamentary by-election at a house in Kampun Teluk Kerang near here.
Sochua, 65, is the vice-president of the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), which has been banned in Cambodia.
She was reportedly detained by the Immigration Department together with two others upon their arrival at the KL International Airport (KLIA) recently.
Saifuddin said the authorities had allowed the Cambodian opposition leaders to enter this country because the Malaysian government made decisions without any pressure from any quarter.
‘’We make decisions about what is taking place in this country and at its borders without pressure from anybody.
“We have to follow certain processes when cases like this take place. That was what took place at the airport.
“They were all allowed to enter Malaysia and they are free to meet their friends and so on.
‘’We follow the SOP and did not comply with what was requested by the Cambodian (government) because we decide whether to send people back or allow them in.”
Last week, Thailand deported Sochua when she landed at the main airport in Bangkok. She then flew to Indonesia before the Cambodian government requested for her detention after holding a media conference there.
It was reported that the Cambodian authorities detained at least 48 opposition activists following allegations about an attempt to topple the government of Prime Minister Hun Sen.
Dozens of opposition activists, who had left Cambodia for fear that they would be detained, stated their preparedness to return home as a sign of support for the founder of CNRP, Sam Rainsey, who is now living in exile.