HONG KONG – Malaysia barred a veteran Hong Kong pro-democracy lawmaker from entering the country yesterday, branding him a “troublemaker”, days after student leader Joshua Wong was denied entry over fears he would threaten ties with China.

Leung Kwok Hung – known as “Long Hair” – of the League of Social Democrats was turned away from the Kuala Lumpur airport and sent back to Hong Kong.

Mr Leung, 59, had been due to speak about Tiananmen Square and Hong Kong’s electoral reforms to local activists yesterday night, with an open discussion on human rights scheduled for today.

“We do not welcome troublemakers into Malaysia and that is why we deported him (Leung) back to Hong Kong. We only welcome peace-loving people,” Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar told AFP.

He would not say whether Mr Leung’s deportation was tied to Malaysia’s close ties with Beijing.

“This act shows that the Malaysian government does not respect freedom of speech,” said Mr Avery Ng, vice-chairman of the League of Social Democrats, who works closely with Mr Leung.

The Malaysia-based group that had arranged Mr Leung’s visit said he had told them by phone that his passport had been seized by immigration officials at the Kuala Lumpur airport and he had been detained for 90 minutes, before being sent back to Hong Kong on a Cathay Pacific flight.

The teenage face of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy “Umbrella Movement”, 18-year-old Mr Wong, was denied entry at Penang airport on Tuesday and had been due to talk about the Tiananmen Square crackdown and the democracy movement.

Tan Sri Khalid said on Tuesday that Mr Wong had been blocked for his “anti-China” views.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE