KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 15 — Graphic artist and activist Fahmi Reza has secured the High Court’s permission to seek a judicial review against an alleged travel ban imposed on him.
Free Malaysia Today reported that Justice Aliza Sulaiman allowed the 48-year-old to proceed with his application, setting the next case management for October 30. Senior federal counsel Faisal Noor raised no objections.
Fahmi is challenging an alleged decision by authorities to bar him from travelling abroad on June 7, and the apparent placement of his name on a movement monitoring list maintained by the police and Immigration Department. The list subjects those named to questioning each time they attempt to leave the country.
The activist has named the inspector-general of police, the Immigration director-general, the home minister, and the government as respondents in the case.
In his affidavit, Fahmi described the alleged move as a restriction on his liberty, privacy, and freedom of movement, arguing there was no legal basis for it.
“I would be detained in a room and asked personal questions about my travel plans. This process can take up to a few hours,” he said, adding that he had not been charged in court or placed under any active investigation.
“My continued placement on the movement monitoring list despite the absence of any active investigation or pending criminal process reflects a form of extrajudicial punishment aimed at suppressing my constitutional rights.”
He further claimed that the authorities’ arbitrary enforcement and lack of transparency breached his rights under Article 8(1) of the Federal Constitution, and asserted a legitimate expectation to travel freely unless restricted by law.
Fahmi is seeking RM408 in special damages, as well as general, exemplary, and aggravated damages to be assessed by the court. He is represented by lawyer Yohendra Nadarajan.
The alleged travel ban drew attention after Fahmi was stopped at Kuala Lumpur International Airport Terminal 2 while attempting to fly to Singapore. An Immigration officer reportedly informed him that Bukit Aman had refused to grant clearance.
Following the incident, then Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain described the ban as a “misunderstanding,” noting that the restriction had been “incorrectly issued” against Fahmi.
