Friends of the Earth Asia Pacific stands in solidarity with our comrade, Meena Raman, the President of Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) and strongly condemns the Sarawak Government’s denial of her entry into Miri on 29 September 2026. Meena arrived at the Miri Airport at approximately 4.50 pm, but was stopped and refused entry by Sarawak Immigration, and subsequently escorted back onto a flight to Kuala Lumpur.
This is deeply disturbing and unacceptable. Sarawak is part of Malaysia, and the exclusion of a Malaysian citizen from a part of her own country, without prior notice, an explanation of the reasons, and without apparent opportunity to respond, is a serious concern about the arbitrary exercise of state power and the principles of procedural fairness.
Meena is a long standing defender of ecological rights of communities, not just in Malaysia but across the global South. For decades she has worked alongside communities to defend their lands, livelihoods, and environment, and has consistently advocated for greater transparency, accountability, and protection of public interest.
Meena was also the former chair of the Friends of the Earth International federation from 2004 to 2008, during which she helped strengthen international solidarity and advocacy on environmental justice, indigenous people’s rights, and corporate accountability.
Meena was permitted to enter Sarawak as recently as 2024. No explanation has been provided as to what has changed since then.
SAM has worked in Sarawak for decades and maintains an office in Marudi. Its work is rooted in supporting grassroots communities, particularly indigenous peoples, farmers and fishers to defend their territories, livelihoods, and environment from destructive development. SAM’s Marudi office is responsible for the organisation’s work on indigenous community issues in Sarawak.
The work of environmental and human rights defenders is legitimate and essential to a functioning democracy. We strongly believe that they must not be silenced simply for carrying out legitimate advocacy or in expressing views that may be critical of government policies or decisions.
Every citizen has a right to freedom of movement. While Sarawak has powers relating to entry from other parts of Malaysia, such power is not a licence for arbitrary exclusion.
Together with SAM, Friends of the Earth APAC calls on the Sarawak Government and the relevant immigration authorities to immediately:
- Disclose the nature, source and basis of the barring;
- Immediately revoke any restriction imposed against her.
- Provide assurances that environmental and human rights defenders will not be subjected to arbitrary restrictions because of their legitimate advocacy and public interest work.
The Federal Government of Malaysia must also not remain silent.
The exclusion of activists from a part of their own country raises fundamental questions about democratic accountability, civic spaces and freedom of expression, as well as the ability of civil society to scrutinise decisions that affect people, communities and the environment they live in.
