KUALA LUMPUR, July 25 — The Immigration Department said today it will deport Md Rayhan Kabir, the Bangladeshi national under fire for criticising Putrajaya’s handling of migrants during the Covid-19 pandemic in Al Jazeera’s documentary.
In a brief statement, the agency confirmed that Rayhan was arrested by its intelligence unit yesterday afternoon in Setapak here, following a two-week manhunt.
“This Bangladeshi national will be deported and blacklisted from entering Malaysia forever,” said its director-general Datuk Khairul Dzaimee Daud.
Rayhan had been the target of the government’s manhunt after his criticisms against Putrajaya’s detention of undocumented migrant workers in an Al Jazeera documentary titled Locked Up in Malaysia’s Lockdown which was aired on July 3.
In the 25 minute and 50 second video produced by Al Jazeera’s 101 East team, he had accused the authorities of racism against undocumented migrants, claiming that being an illegal immigrant in Malaysia is not a crime.
This led to the Home Ministry revoking Rayhan’s work permit in the country, while many Malaysians took to social media to express their anger against Rayhan.
At the same time, Bukit Aman had also called in the 101 East news crew for questioning.
Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Bador had said that the police and the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) have found that the documentary contained seditious elements.
