KUALA LUMPUR — The Immigration Department has clarified that activist and graphic artist Fahmi Reza is not prohibited from travelling overseas.
Its director-general, Datuk Zakaria Shaaban, said the department was aware of social media posts and news reports in which an individual claimed he was barred from leaving the country on June 6.
Zakaria explained that discrepancies between the English and Malay versions of the department’s official website may have led to confusion, resulting in Fahmi being prevented from travelling to Singapore recently.
“There is no travel restriction on the said individual for overseas destinations. He is only barred from entering Sabah, in accordance with a directive from the state government,” he said in a statement today.
He added that the English version of the department’s online portal is currently undergoing rectification works and has been temporarily taken offline.
“We are carrying out technical checks to ensure consistency across all language versions of the portal to prevent further misunderstandings,” he said.
Previously, Fahmi alleged that he was blacklisted from travelling abroad and from entering Sabah.
In a Facebook post, he said he became aware of the directive after being informed by immigration officers at Kuala Lumpur International Airport while attempting to board a flight to Singapore. — June 13, 2025