SARAWAK Chief Minister Abang Johari Openg last night said electoral reform expert Wong Chin Huat, who was barred from entering the state on Thursday, should receive the medical service requested.

“There is an SOP (standard operating procedure) on it (medical emergencies),” said Johari.

He added Putrajaya’s electoral reform committee should have known Wong is on the immigration blacklist, therefore advised him against entering the state.

On Wong’s claim that the committee had sent two letters applying for an entry pass, Johari said he was unaware of it as he was overseas at the time.

Johari added he had left exemption requests “to the security people”, referring to the state security committee.

Wong yesterday said he had developed a severe headache and his blood pressure had spiked after he was denied entry into the state when he landed at 3.50pm.

He added immigration officers “wilfully” ignored the risk to his health, forcing him to board the next flight and “spend 110 minutes in hypertension” back to Kuala Lumpur.

He said he is aware of his immigration blacklist status.

Wong said through an intervention from Health Minister Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, he finally treated by a doctor from the Kuching hospital at 9.45pm.

He said despite his medical condition, the immigration officers “rejected the doctor’s suggestion for me to be hospitalised for treatment and observation”.

It was only after the intervention of Works Minister Baru Bian that a special pass for hospitalisation was issued at 11pm and Wong was admitted to the Kuching hospital at 11.30pm.

One of Wong’s visitors yesterday was Batu Lintang assemblyman See Chee How of PKR.

See, who shared a photo of a smiling Wong tucking into some kolo mee, told The Malaysian Insight that there was tight security outside the ward and he has to get clearance from the hospital director before he could see Wong.

While waiting for clearance, See said Wong “looks OK” through the glass panel of the ward’s door.

Wong flew back to Kuala Lumpur last night.

Wong was to speak, moderate and plan a workshop on mixed member proportional and constituency delimitation in Kuching that was co-organised by the electoral reform committee, Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih 2.0) and Engage – a civil society group for democracy and human rights. – November 16, 2019.