KUALA LUMPUR: Human rights group Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram) is calling for the intervention of the Home Ministry over the deportation order against Bangladeshi opposition politician MA Quayum.
Suaram executive director Sevan Doraisamy in a statement said the deportation order was in defiance of the Kuala Lumpur High Court's decision on Jan 18 to stay Quayum's deportation until the conclusion of proceedings of Quayum's habeas corpus application.(
"Our demand from Jan 18 still stands, the Immigration Department must fully comply with this court order and immediately cease any subsequent plans to deport Quayum.
"We also urge Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail to swiftly intervene and ensure that this deportation does not take place."
Sevan said the court order violation ironically undermined the claims of provisions of humanitarian assistance to refugees and asylum seekers propounded by the Malaysian delegation in the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) session last Friday.
"It also reinforces Malaysia's notorious reputation in treatment of refugees and asylum seekers, which include arbitrary arrests, detention and deportation.
"Violation of the principle of non-refoulement contravenes the fundamental human rights principles of freedom, justice and security for all that the Madani government had so fervently propounded to 131 countries at the international stage on Jan 25.
"It is imperative that the Madani government also respects and protects the rights of refugees, including refraining from forcibly returning them to a country where they may face harm."
It was reported that the Immigration Department had signed off on an order to deport Quayum.
According to the portal, Quayum's family and lawyers were only informed of the order yesterday.
Quayum, a leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, had been earlier arrested in a joint operation between the police and Bangladeshi intelligence on Jan 12.