Police lift Fahmi Reza's travel ban: Immigration DG

PUTRAJAYA: The Immigration Department has confirmed that the order to lift the blacklist of graphic artist Fahmi Reza (pix), that prohibited him from travelling abroad, had come from the police.
It's director-general Datuk Seri Mustafar Ali said the travel ban, which was imposed following orders from the police beginning March 31, 2016, was lifted on Jan 6.
He was responding to how Fahmi, the activist behind the infamous clown portrait of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak, was able to get his name off the blacklist and fly to Taiwan on Jan 9.
"If the blacklist was by us, then of course we have the power. But Fahmi was listed by the police.
"His ban was lifted on Jan 6, but he made a statement as though he was still listed, and was trying his luck at the airport.
"Fact is, the police themselves cancelled his blacklist, which is why our system no longer recorded his name (in the list)," he told a press conference after attending the department's monthly assembly, here, today.
Fahmi had, on Jan 9, posted on his Facebook that he managed to get through an Immigration blacklist barring him from overseas travel, and that he was flying to Taiwan.
He later said it was "Inspector R", the same police who placed his name in the Immigration's blacklist initially, who helped him lift the travel ban.
Fahmi explained how he had contacted the inspector prior to his travel, was asked to meet him at the airport in the morning before his flight, and was told that everything has been settled and that he was free to fly.
"He told me that he had gone to the Immigration management office in KLIA to ensure that everything went well. He then told of the efforts he had taken (to lift the ban) since last Friday.
"Apparently, Inspector R had sent a report to the Special Branch on Friday and ensured that my name was taken off the system, and that the Immigration was also notified," he said.