Fahmi Reza barred from leaving country, ‘thanks' cops for unforgettable birthday gift

The Star

07-06-2025

IPOH: Controversial graphic artist and activist Fahmi Reza claims that he has been barred from travelling abroad.
In a post shared on his Facebook page on Saturday (June 7), the 47-year-old said Immigration officers at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport had stopped him earlier in the day before his 9.35am flight to Singapore.
Fahmi said he had made plans to fly to Singapore to watch a concert.
"Today, I was barred from going overseas by the government. Two of my favourite punk bands Slant from South Korea and Sial from Singapore are playing in Singapore.
"It has been quite some time since I wanted to watch both bands play live. I bought a flight ticket, planned for a two-day, one-night trip in Singapore and was prepared to stay at a friend's place there," he added.
The latest travel ban for Fahmi came after he was denied entry into Sabah on May 29.
Fahmi, whose birthday is today, believed that the travel ban imposed on him was due to his artwork that criticised the appointment of Tun Musa Aman as Sabah's Yang di-Pertua Negeri (TYT).
He had in late 2024 got into trouble with the authorities for insulting the then incoming 11th TYT, depicting Musa in a caricature deemed offensive by the Keningau Native Court.
Fahmi also said that he was made to wait in the Immigration office and also to print out his travelling documents on his own.
"After about half an hour, the immigration officer asked for my passport and MyKad to be photocopied.
"He also asked for my boarding pass and flight tickets, which I showed from my mobile phone but he insisted on checking the printed version," he said.
"Even though the office has a printer and photocopier, I was told to find another place to print (the travel documents).
"At that time, there was only 10 minutes left before boarding time and 30 minutes before the gates closed," he said.
"I rushed out of the Immigration office to look for a printer and fortunately, an airport staff was able to help and brought me to the Sama-Sama Express Hotel on a buggy to print the travel documents," he added.
Fahmi said as he went back to the Immigration office to submit the documents, he was informed that Bukit Aman (police) had barred him from travelling abroad.
"I asked for a reason and was told to ask the police. I was then escorted out of the departure hall. What did I do wrong? Only the police and the government can answer,' he added