Immigration withdraws Bangladeshi politician’s deportation order

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian immigration authorities have revoked the deportation order against Bangladeshi opposition politician MA Quayum, who insisted that his life and safety would be at risk if he were deported back to his homeland.

Report Malaysia Today, the Kuala Lumpur High Court this morning recorded a consent judgment between Quayum and the Home Minister and three other respondents.

Proceedings before judge K Muniandy today were initially set for Quayum’s habeas corpus application against his alleged illegal detention.

According to a copy of the consent judgment, the Malaysian authorities agreed to revoke the order dated January 24 for Quayum’s arrest and deportation.

The authorities also agreed to allow United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) card holders to be resettled in other countries.

The Director General of Immigration and three other respondents – the national police chief (IGP), the Home Minister, and the Malaysian government – agreed not to detain or deport Quayum and his family pending a decision in another country.

Among the conditions of the agreement is that the opposition politician who is also a refugee and his family leave Malaysia immediately when successfully accepted in another country.

Another condition in the consent decree is that Quayum withdraw the judicial review action filed in the Kuala Lumpur High Court recently.

The consent judgment also states that Quayum can make another application under Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) if the Bangladesh government returns his refugee passport.

Quayum, represented by lawyer Edmund Bon, has been a refugee in Malaysia since 2015 under the MM2H program.

However, on January 12, he was arrested in a joint operation with the Malaysian police and Bangladesh’s National Security Intelligence at his home in Ampang.

Human rights organization Suaram had previously claimed that the demand for Quayum’s arrest was part of a systematic crackdown by the Bangladeshi government against opposition politicians.