Australian MP questions deportation from Malaysia

Sydney, Feb 17 (AFP) An Australian lawmaker deported from Kuala Lumpur said today his expulsion was ordered by the "highest levels" of the Malaysian government over his push to promote free elections in the Southeast Asian nation. Outspoken independent Senator Nick Xenophon, who was detained and barred from entering Malaysia upon landing in Kuala Lumpur yesterday, said he was whisked away to an interrogation area and told he was a security risk. "It is clear that I was deported because of my advocacy for the pro-democracy movement in Malaysia, in particular the (electoral reform) group Bersih," Xenophon told reporters after arriving at Melbourne airport today morning. "It was unexpected, I was quite gobsmacked when I was taken away early on. It seems the only risk I am is to embarrassing the Malaysian government because of my advocacy for free elections in Malaysia," he added. Xenophon has previously travelled to the country several times, including to study the polling system at the invitation of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim. On this trip Xenophon was part of an Australian parliamentary delegation and was due to meet members of Bersih as well as senior government officials, including some from the Election Commission. The other lawmakers cancelled their trip after he was detained. The senator said he was put on an indefinite "do not enter" list by Malaysian officials, which he described as "ominous". He noted that he was also pursuing legal action in Malaysia over media coverage of a speech he gave denouncing Scientology last year which wrongly attributed his remarks instead as being about Islam. "There was subsequently an apology from one of the leading newspapers," he said, adding that he had filed a criminal defamation complaint with the police. "Whether (the deportation and defamation case) are linked, who knows, but clearly my information is that this order was made at the highest levels of the Malaysian government, which is quite surprising." Xenophon said the order to deport him came "probably from the prime minister's office", citing a lawyer who was granted access to him during his detention yesterday. "But that's just speculation, that's for Malaysia's prime minister's office to confirm or deny." (AFP) NKP NKP 02171002 NNNN