Fahmi Reza barred from leaving country, ‘thanks' cops for unforgettable birthday gift
IPOH: Controversial graphic artist and activist Fahmi Reza claims that he has been barred from travelling abroad.
In a post shared on his Facebook page on Saturday (June 7), the 47-year-old said Immigration officers at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport had stopped him earlier in the day before his 9.35am flight to Singapore.
Fahmi said he had made plans to fly to Singapore to watch a concert.
"Today, I was barred from going overseas by the government. Two of my favourite punk bands Slant from South Korea and Sial from Singapore are playing in Singapore.
"It has been quite some time since I wanted to watch both bands play live. I bought a flight ticket, planned for a two-day, one-night trip in Singapore and was prepared to stay at a friend's place there," he added.
The latest travel ban for Fahmi came after he was denied entry into Sabah on May 29.
Fahmi, whose birthday is today, believed that the travel ban imposed on him was due to his artwork that criticised the appointment of Tun Musa Aman as Sabah's Yang di-Pertua Negeri (TYT).
He had in late 2024 got into trouble with the authorities for insulting the then incoming 11th TYT, depicting Musa in a caricature deemed offensive by the Keningau Native Court.
Fahmi also said that he was made to wait in the Immigration office and also to print out his travelling documents on his own.
"After about half an hour, the immigration officer asked for my passport and MyKad to be photocopied.
"He also asked for my boarding pass and flight tickets, which I showed from my mobile phone but he insisted on checking the printed version," he said.
"Even though the office has a printer and photocopier, I was told to find another place to print (the travel documents).
"At that time, there was only 10 minutes left before boarding time and 30 minutes before the gates closed," he said.
"I rushed out of the Immigration office to look for a printer and fortunately, an airport staff was able to help and brought me to the Sama-Sama Express Hotel on a buggy to print the travel documents," he added.
Fahmi said as he went back to the Immigration office to submit the documents, he was informed that Bukit Aman (police) had barred him from travelling abroad.
"I asked for a reason and was told to ask the police. I was then escorted out of the departure hall. What did I do wrong? Only the police and the government can answer,' he added
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Daily Express
17 hours ago
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I was blacklisted from Sabah last week, now banned from leaving Malaysia: Fahmi Reza
Published on: Saturday, June 07, 2025 Published on: Sat, Jun 07, 2025 By: Malay Mail Text Size: Fahmi shared on social media that he arrived at KLIA2 for a short two-day trip to a concert in Singapore. - Pic via Fahmi Reza | Facebook Graphic artist and political activist Fahmi Reza said he was stopped from boarding a flight to Singapore today after being informed he was blacklisted from travelling overseas — the second such travel restriction imposed on him in just over two weeks. In a statement posted on his social media, Fahmi recounted arriving at KLIA2 at around 7.30am to catch a 9.35am flight for a short two-day trip to attend a concert featuring South Korean band Slant and Singaporean act Sial. Advertisement But at the international departure counter, Immigration officers told him he had been flagged and needed to wait at their office. 'I was asked to wait while they checked with TCO (Travel Control Office/Order). Then they took my passport and IC for photocopying. They also wanted printed copies of my boarding pass and e-ticket, even though I had them on my phone,' he wrote, adding that with only 10 minutes left before boarding, an airport staff member helped him get the documents printed at a hotel nearby. When he returned to Immigration with the documents, Fahmi said an officer told him, 'Bukit Aman has not given clearance for you to leave the country.' He said no explanation was provided and he was escorted out of the departure area. Advertisement Fahmi is well known for his satirical illustrations that often critique political leaders and institutions. He believes the ban is linked to his artwork criticising the recent appointment of former Sabah chief minister Tun Musa Aman as the state's new Yang di-Pertua Negeri. Just weeks earlier, on May 29, the Sabah Immigration Department had denied Fahmi entry into the state under Section 65(1)(a) of the Immigration Act 1959/63. He said he was flown back to Kuala Lumpur the same day without further explanation. That incident followed his earlier arrest by Sabah police in February this year over another satirical post. Authorities had opened investigations under the Sedition Act for allegedly insulting the royal institution. 'Last week I was blacklisted from entering Sabah. This week, I'm blacklisted from leaving the country,' he wrote. 'My only 'offence' was creating critical artwork.' * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
The Star
19 hours ago
- The Star
Fahmi Reza barred from leaving country, ‘thanks' cops for unforgettable birthday gift
IPOH: Controversial graphic artist and activist Fahmi Reza claims that he has been barred from travelling abroad. In a post shared on his Facebook page on Saturday (June 7), the 47-year-old said Immigration officers at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport had stopped him earlier in the day before his 9.35am flight to Singapore. Fahmi said he had made plans to fly to Singapore to watch a concert. "Today, I was barred from going overseas by the government. Two of my favourite punk bands Slant from South Korea and Sial from Singapore are playing in Singapore. "It has been quite some time since I wanted to watch both bands play live. I bought a flight ticket, planned for a two-day, one-night trip in Singapore and was prepared to stay at a friend's place there," he added. The latest travel ban for Fahmi came after he was denied entry into Sabah on May 29. Fahmi, whose birthday is today, believed that the travel ban imposed on him was due to his artwork that criticised the appointment of Tun Musa Aman as Sabah's Yang di-Pertua Negeri (TYT). He had in late 2024 got into trouble with the authorities for insulting the then incoming 11th TYT, depicting Musa in a caricature deemed offensive by the Keningau Native Court. Fahmi also said that he was made to wait in the Immigration office and also to print out his travelling documents on his own. "After about half an hour, the immigration officer asked for my passport and MyKad to be photocopied. "He also asked for my boarding pass and flight tickets, which I showed from my mobile phone but he insisted on checking the printed version," he said. "Even though the office has a printer and photocopier, I was told to find another place to print (the travel documents). "At that time, there was only 10 minutes left before boarding time and 30 minutes before the gates closed," he said. "I rushed out of the Immigration office to look for a printer and fortunately, an airport staff was able to help and brought me to the Sama-Sama Express Hotel on a buggy to print the travel documents," he added. Fahmi said as he went back to the Immigration office to submit the documents, he was informed that Bukit Aman (police) had barred him from travelling abroad. "I asked for a reason and was told to ask the police. I was then escorted out of the departure hall. What did I do wrong? Only the police and the government can answer,' he added
New Straits Times
19 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Activist Fahmi Reza claims he was barred from leaving the country
KUALA LUMPUR: Activist and graphic artist Fahmi Reza claims he was prevented from leaving the country this morning after immigration officers at KLIA informed him that he had been blacklisted. "Today, on my birthday and Hari Raya Aidiladha, I found out I've been blacklisted and barred from leaving the country," he said in a Facebook post earlier today. In his post, he detailed plans for a short two-day trip to Singapore to attend a show featuring two of his favourite punk bands. Fahmi said he arrived at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) around 7.30am to catch a 9.35am flight and proceeded to the international immigration clearance counter, where he was directed to the immigration office. He said the officer asked for his travel documents and destination, then requested printed copies of his boarding pass and flight ticket. Despite showing digital versions on his phone, Fahmi claimed he was instructed to print physical copies himself, even though the office was equipped with a printer. With just minutes left before boarding, an airport staff member assisted him by driving him to a nearby hotel to print the required documents. Upon returning to the immigration office, Fahmi said he was informed that he had not been granted clearance to leave the country. According to him, the officer said that Bukit Aman had not approved his departure but did not provide any further explanation. He was then escorted out of the departure area. The New Straits Times has reached out to the police for comment.
