Malaysian MP’S NZ visit sparks call for answers
Amalaysian MP has been in New Zealand on 55 days’ leave to visit his children and sick wife. But the Government is refusing to confirm key details behind his entry into the country and passage through managed isolation.
Edmund Santhara, also known as Edmund Santhara Kumar Ramanaidu, holds the post of Deputy Minister for Federal Territories. The People’s Justice Party member is facing a backlash in Malaysia for travelling to New Zealand amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
But here, Government agencies won’t confirm the politician’s immigration status or how he secured a place in the managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ) system, prompting National’s Covid-19 Response spokesman Chris Bishop to call for confirmation there has been no special treatment.
According to a lengthy post on social media, Santhara entered managed isolation on Christmas Eve and left 16 days later.
‘‘My purpose of going out of state is to visit my children in New Zealand, especially my children who are continuing their studies in the law,’’ he posted. ‘‘Other than that, as a responsible father, I need to meet a 9-year-old child to carry out responsibility as a father during the break after almost a year of not meeting ... I also need to visit a wife who is suffering from health issues.’’
But many questions about his trip are unknown, with Government agencies refusing to say whether he is a New Zealand resident or citizen, and, how long he waited for ANMIQ spot. On October 30, the same day
Santhara said he began his travel application with the Malaysia Immigration Department, Air New Zealand was ordered by the Government to freeze international bookings as Kiwis flocked home for Christmas.
‘‘For privacy reasons, managed isolation and quarantine doesn’t disclose information about individuals inmanaged isolation facilities,’’ said a spokeswoman for the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, which oversees MIQ facilities. Similarly, Immigration New Zealand said: ‘‘In the absence of a privacy waiver, Immigration New Zealand cannot provide any information on this person.’’
Authorities were also unable to answer Stuff’’ s query about wait times for positions in managed isolation in late October or early November. A spokesman said the information was not recorded.
Bishop said privacy wasn’t a good enough excuse and the refusal to confirm the circumstances was inconsistent with the Government’s position on previous cases.
‘‘I understand the privacy argument, but the Government has been pretty forthcoming about how one of its own MPS, Ricardo Menendez March, was able to come back into New Zealand,’’ Bishop told Stuff.
‘‘Privacy doesn’t seem particularly important in that case and it shouldn’t be here either.’’
Bishop said many New Zealanders had been trying to get back into the country, and the public deserved answers.
‘‘The real questions are around how he got into MIQ, there’s a highly limited number of spaces and so people would be pretty concerned if there was special treatment given to him and the Government now need to be up front about that,’’ he said.
It is not clear whether he travelled on a personal or diplomatic passport. Diplomats are exempt from paying MIQ fees.