Insult the government and you can be barred from international travel

Say bad things about the government and risk ruining your travel plans.

According to a report by The Star Online, travel bans are now not confined to just convicted criminals, government loan defaulters and those who have been declared bankrupt.

Anyone caught discrediting or ridiculing the Government — in any way — will be barred from travelling abroad for three years, the report said, quoting a source from the Immigration Department. 

READ: “Outspoken” Malaysians have to check travel status: Nur Jazlan

“Anyone who runs down the Government or ‘memburukkan kerajaan’ in any manner will be barred from going abroad. Only the Immigration Department director-general will be authorised to look into their appeals,” the source said. 

He added that the ruling was enforced several months ago, to ‘safeguard the country’s image’. The department would take action upon requests from enforcement agencies, such as the police, he said.

Immigration director general Datuk Sakib Kusmi confirmed this with the portal, saying that the ownership of a Malaysian passport was not a right, but a privilege. 

“The Malaysian international passport is a travel document issued by the Government under the aegis of the Yang DiPertuan Agong. So, the Government has the discretion to either issue, defer or revoke the travel document,” he told The Star in an email.



Reader Interactions

Leave A Reply


BECOME A COCO+ MEMBER

Support local news and join a community of like-minded
“Coconauts” across Southeast Asia and Hong Kong.

Join Now
Coconuts TV
Our latest and greatest original videos
Subscribe on