The Japanese Government should apologise to Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and to Malaysia for the “national insult” in denying entry to Japan and deporting the Parliamentary Opposition Leader yesterday.

The barring of Anwar Ibrahim from entering Japan is not a mere personal matter involving Anwar but a question of national honour as Anwar is the leader the Pakatan Rakyat coalition which secured the majority support of 51% of the voters in the 13th General Elections on May 5 last year.

It tantamounts to disrespect and slap-in-the-face of the majority of voters in Malaysia by the Japanese Government and must therefore be regarded as a most unfriendly and even hostile Japanese act against Malaysia.

Malaysians do not want to interfere in the internal affairs and politics in Japan and similarly the Japanese Government must act correctly and not interfere in the internal politics of Malaysia.

The excuse that Anwar was prevented from entering Japan because of his previous conviction for sodomy in 1999 is most ridiculous and make Japan an international laughing stock as Anwar had previously entered Tokyo on three occasions without hindrance in 2006, 2009 and 2012.

Furthermore, Anwar’s 1999 conviction was the result of political persecution and cannot be accepted as reason for barring a national leader from a friendly country from entering Japan.

As national honour is at stake, the Foreign Ministry must take immediate action to demand apology from the Japanese government as well as to ensure that there will be no repetition of the incident at the Narita International Airport yesterday where Anwar was prohibited from entry and was deported on the first flight out of Tokyo upon arrival from Kuala Lumpur at 6.45 am yesterday.

(Media Conference in Muar on Monday, 20th Jan 2014 at 4 pm)