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Locked Up for Dress Up: Cosplayers Recount Harrowing Week in Malaysian Prison

Be careful in 2nd/3rd-world countries.

Things and procedures don't work as smoothly as a machine.

There may be rules and regulations, but doesn't mean they'd be followed, even openly disregarded.

enurtsol wrote:

Be careful in 2nd/3rd-world countries. Things and procedures don't work as smoothly as a machine. There may be rules and regulations, but doesn't mean they'd be followed, even openly disregarded.

How about less generic generalizations. If we use the Rule of Law Index 2019, Malasya is ranked #51 (they moved up 5 spots from the previous year), the USA is at #20 (moved down one spot from the previous year) and Japan is at #15 (also moved down one spot). Other tourist destinations worth mentioning are Egypt (#121), Indonesia (#62,+4), India (#68,+3) & China (#82,-2).

Quote:

Malaysia has been a spot for anime conventions in the past, what conditions, exactly made things go to shit starting from March 2019 and onward? Has any laws been passed recently? Are there any laws that existed on the books that were not being enforced until recently? Or is it just a case of corruption and abuse of power?

Oh good, we're in.

Hi there, someone from Malaysia here, who was at that Geek Summit shite show. <Insert>

To answer the question, here's what we know from months of digging around.

Following the March 2019 incident, the Immigration Department classified ACG Events (The term folks here in South East Asia call Anime Conventions) as events that require special permits for foreign guests who make an appearance there.

Basically, this PUSPAL thing. (https://www.imi.gov.my/index.php/en/pass.html?id=287)

Which is required, if your foreign guest does any of the following,
- Be featured as the event's promotional material,
- Perform or go on stage,
- Have a booth to do business,

Just to name a few.

In short, the law was slightly altered than changed, even though this Permit had existed before but prior to March 2019, ACG Events in Malaysia had often kept the proper paperwork going anyways, such that Immigration found no issue with them.

Long as the paperwork was there, they don't give a crap.

The reason behind this change was the result of their first time exposure to raiding the March 2019 event.

We say raiding because, prior to that March 2019 event, they called up the organizer guy for that event, advising him to call off the event or there will be trouble, because he had failed to secure the proper permits for the foreign guests.

...which, never happened.

Thus why they had to assume it was an illegal operation, and start detaining every single foreign person there without Permits.

Speaking of which, the organizer for the March 2019 event, intentionally did not applied for the permits, at all.

To the point that following the incident, there was an unreported court case between him, and Immigration on his negligence for applying permits.

The verdict is still up in the air, this was the one thing we've been unable to check out since...court cases and stuff.

By the way, the same guy who ran the March 2019 event, was the ex-boss for some folks who worked at the Geek Summit event.

Following the incident in March, many of them denounced and disowned the March 2019 organizer guy, because of his failure to take responsibility for his actions.

To the point that, it's not too far fetched that the snitch bribing immigration to drop by Geek Summit to cause trouble, isn't too far fetched.

Side note, this March Organizer guy...is part of, what we here in Malaysia call, one of the deep state families.

Basically, the guy's family has deep pockets within the Malaysian Government to call up "favors", to the point that a department like Immigration sort of bows to his whim.

Within reason of course, he can't make it too obvious that he's calling their shots.

Also on a side note about Immigration, they are a bag of dicks.

These are the same people still doing on the ground illegal activities at the Thai Border, so not the kind of department people can fully trust.

As for Geek Summit, yes, on the surface level they did fail to secure the proper PUSPAL permit.

However, that's not say that Immigration played fair as well, as their verbal assurance that the event doesn't need such a permit, is also questionable.

Almost as though, they want to setup the proper circumstances to raid such an event.

Geek Summit was in Shah Alam of course, relatively near their offices if you will.

Now, present day.

Far as we're concerned, the March 2019 and Geek Summit incidents are the only times where Cosplayers have gotten in hot soup over Immigration.

Yet, following that there's quite a lot of events following Geek Summit that managed to put together the proper permits to ensure their events wind up smoothly,

- Star Supa Comic #002 2019
- Japan Expo 2019
- AniManGaki 2019
- Ballare 2019
- AsiaComicCon 2019
- Comic Fiesta 2019 (This weekend by the way)

Look these up, you'd be surprised at what you can find.

Some people for some reason assume that Malaysia deserves the flak, which yes, we do.

However, that won't exactly stop the many well established organizations within Malaysia to continue doing what they do best.

Immigration is annoying, and they have retribution coming.

But, we can assure you that, things aren't going down anytime soon.

It just gets harder. And difficulty is where the fun's at.

To say that the locals aren't pissed off about what happened too is dismissive.

MANY folks here are just as pissed off at the March 2019 incident, more than Geek Summit on the grounds of many complicated things we can go on but maybe later.

Essentially, the road to redemption is a long one. And one, you will not stop seeing the Malaysian scene continue pushing for.

And well...I don't know about yall cheap talking folks who aren't leaving your home countries soon, that's your choice and we respect that.

Those Neet bucks don't buy anything of course.

TL;DR.
This story is complicated.

But, like the Federation Network, would you like to know more?

Find out more at a SiteInRelief or something.

I understand your frustration about the condemnation of Malaysia.

Problem is that the Immigration officials are not stupid. They knew perfectly well that those they arrested were invited into the country by the organizers. They knew perfectly well that the invited guests were not criminals who were purposefully breaking the law.

Yet, despite all that, they arrested the invited foreign guests, instead of the organizers who brought them into the country. They treated the invited foreign guests as if they were criminals who were intent on breaking the law. Not only that, they treated them like they were the scum of the Earth, even knowing that was truly not the case. This is all even before they were transported to hell on Earth. The victims have already detailed the conditions of their imprisonment, so I don't need to expand on that.

They are lucky their embassy staff responded quickly. This easily could have gone the "Midnight Express" route, and along a far darker path.

It makes one wonder, what would happen to a foreign tourist who is stopped by the police or immigration officials, to find out they left their passport in the hotel. Would the police or officials really care? Would the tourist be shipped out to that immigration prison so they could be tormented and worse.

The victim described the actions of all the government and police officials. It was a basic portrayal of evil. All down the line.

Mr. sickVisionz wrote:

Sounds like a great reason to never visit Malaysia under any circumstances.

So you're going to financially punish the workers in the hospitality industry for actions they had nothing to do with, no control over, and weren't even aware of?

Wow, we got us here a self proclaimed psychic power man here, no please, tell us more about what you claim to see.

And not at all concerned about the case? Good joke.

Pretty sure more arrests would've happened as a result, if the Malaysian really didn't care.

But...last time I checked...yeah, nothing happened over the last 6 months.

Not concerned you say? Pretty sure the only one unconcerned is the self proclaimed psychic bunny here.