Malaysia has arrested 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, Malay Mail reports.
In a brief statement, the Immigration Department confirmed that Rayhan was arrested by its intelligence unity on Friday afternoon, following two weeks of manhunt.
“This Bangladeshi national will be deported and blacklisted from entering Malaysia forever,” said its Director-General Datuk Khairul Dzaimee Daud was quoted by the Malaysian newspaper as saying.
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 03.
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 Malaysia's Home Ministry revoking Rayhan’s work permit in the country, while many Malaysians took to social media to express their anger against Rayhan.
Malaysia's 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.