Wong questioned the move to bar Pua from Sabah, saying elected representatives such as Pua and himself had the democratic right to approach the people, reported the Borneo Post Online.

“DAP Sabah has honoured and respected the state’s immigration rights, which is guaranteed in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 and Federal Constitution,” said Wong.

However, he said that right should not be abused and used to block an elected representative from exercising his own democratic rights, adding that the “dirty action” would not stop the party from going ahead with its interior rural area programmes.

Pua’s three-day plan to visit Keningau, Tenom and Pensiangan came to a stop after he was barred from entering Sabah upon arrival at Kota Kinabalu International Airport at around 12.45pm yesterday.

The Petaling Jaya Utara MP was supposed to deliver a talk on the 1MDB scandal at each rural destination.

Pua was deported back to Kuala Lumpur at 2pm on AirAsia flight AK5115.