Asylum must not be denied?

That is the title of an article published in one of Malaysian newspaper.


The journalist writes that the deportation of a Saudi National who was seeking asylum in Malaysia has now become another global PR debacle.

A few other details emerged from this report. Hamzah Kashagari was intercepted while he was enroute to New Zeland. And he was detained for three days at Kuala Lumpur before he was sent back to Saudi Arabia to face a possible beheading.

The ex-Prime Minister of Malaysia, a very serious blogger I might add, has this to say about Kashgari

The authorities should have studied the case of the Saudi Arabian journalist thoroughly before making the decision to send him back. “If it causes the loss of life, we have to see the justification,” he said.

The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) calls the repatriation as a breach of international human rights rules and norms.

The biggest culprits who were responsible for this fiasco are Malaysian Home Minister, Malaysian Immigration director-general, Malaysian Inspector-General of Police and the Saudis.

Saudi beheading Committee has a bloodthirsty reputation

The beheading of a woman, Amina Abdul Halim Salem Nasser, who was convicted of “witchcraft and sorcery”, sparked global outrage last year.

Sorcery and witchcraft is widely practiced in Malaysia because it is a thriving business opportunity. The journalist sum up his piece by

One wonders how our own celebrated bomoh – especially those frequently called in to help politicians facing trials in courts as well as football teams seeking spiritual help – would fare if sorcery were similarly enforced as a crime in Malaysia.