Japan eviction: Anwar had no visa

Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim was denied entry into Japan over the weekend for not furnishing a visa application to Tokyo.

Japanese Embassy second secretary Takaharu Suegami explained today that the PKR de facto leader was previously allowed entry into Japan in 2011 and 2012 as on those occasions he (Anwar) had submitted visa applications which had enabled the Japanese government to make “special arrangements” for the latter.

“Since July last year, we had abolished the requirement for visa for Malaysian travellers to Japan, but that is only for the ordinary people,” Suegami told FMT when contacted, today.

“Any persons who has been convicted still need to apply for a visa. That is the problem,” he explained.

“If he (Anwar) knew he was going to Japan, he should have issued a letter to the embassy and we could make special arrangements for him,” he added.

Suegami pointed out that the Japanese authorities had the right to deny anyone entry into the country under Japan’s Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act, which stated that Japan had every right to deny entry to anyone who has been convicted of a violation of any law of Japan or any other country.

“Before this, Anwar was allowed to enter because we received prior application for a visa from his office in the form of a letter.

“As such, we received the application in advance and could make special arrangements for him and then allowed him to enter Japan,” he said.

“But this time, we did not receive prior application of visa from him, so because of that we couldn’t do anything. This is a procedural problem.”

Yesterday, Foreign Minister Anifah Aman said the opposition leader was denied entry into Japan over the weekend because he was found to be ‘undesirable’ by the Japanese government.

Anifah denied that the Malaysian government was involved in Japan’s decision to bar Anwar from entering the country.

He also denied that Anwar was barred from entering Japan following a Wisma Putra report on him last year.

Anwar went to Tokyo on the invitation of the Nippon Foundation chairman Yohei Sasakawa to present a paper on Muslim Democrats.

Anwar, on his arrival back to Kuala Lumpur blamed the government for his being denied entry into Japan. -FMT