KUALA LUMPUR – Graphic artist and political satirist Fahmi Reza will be taking legal action against the government and relevant authorities after he was barred from boarding a flight to Singapore yesterday.
In a statement issued today, Fahmi criticised both Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Razarudin Husain, accusing them of deflecting responsibility.
He criticised the prime minister for shifting responsibility to the police, and the police for blaming confusion at the immigration checkpoint.
“You know what I didn’t see? I didn’t see anyone from the government brave enough to take responsibility for the mistake that restricted my freedom of movement,” Fahmi said.
“They said ‘there were no official restrictions,’ yet I was still barred from flying yesterday. I was still unable to leave the country. I was still deprived of my rights as a citizen.”
He accused the authorities of wasting his time and money, and of placing him in a difficult situation without being held accountable.
“If ordinary citizens commit an offence, it doesn’t take long for the authorities to drag them to court. Well, now it’s time for the people to drag the authorities to court.
“The government and its agencies are not above the law. The rakyat should not fear the government — the government should fear the rakyat.
“You’ve always told me to ‘use the proper channels’, right? Fine. I’ll see you in court.”
Fahmi was stopped by immigration officers at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport yesterday while en route to Singapore to attend a concert.
He was told that a travel control order had been issued by Bukit Aman and was escorted out of the international departure area. Officers advised him to refer the matter to the police.
The incident is the latest in a string of travel-related restrictions involving Fahmi. On May 29, he was denied entry into Sabah and deported upon arrival at Kota Kinabalu International Airport.
The incident followed the circulation of a satirical illustration of Sabah Governor Tun Musa Aman in December, which reportedly angered several parties in the state. Fahmi was subsequently arrested and investigated under the Sedition Act, the Communications and Multimedia Act, and the Penal Code.
Earlier today, Anwar instructed the police to clarify the travel issue. The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) later said Anwar had directed the Deputy Inspector-General of Police to review the matter.
The PMO stressed that the government remains committed to upholding individual freedoms, provided they do not endanger national security or contravene existing laws.
Responding to the situation, IGP Razarudin confirmed that Fahmi was not under any official travel ban.
However, he explained that Fahmi’s name had been placed on a police movement monitoring list as part of an ongoing investigation. This monitoring status, he said, had mistakenly triggered a travel control order at the checkpoint — a miscommunication that immigration officers acted on.
The IGP said the matter is under review and that steps would be taken to tighten procedures to prevent similar incidents in the future. — June 8, 2025