Queer entrepreneur Nur Sajat who managed to escape to Thailand is said to have illegally entered the country with the help of a certain individual. Sajat, who ended up detained earlier this month (8th September) by Thai immigration is said to have received assistance from a man who possesses dual citizenship both in Malaysia and Thailand.
According to Harian Metro, the man known as ‘Wan Besi’ was responsible for arranging the process of smuggling the cosmetics entrepreneur out of the country. Based on sources, the results of a new investigation conducted by the authorities found that Wan Besi was the mastermind behind Nur Sajat’s escape plan to Thailand.
A source informed Harian Metro that there was a certain individual (related to Wan Besi) who was responsible for transporting Nur Sajat. The individual took Nur Sajat in a vehicle and started his journey from his bungalow in Petaling Jaya in the first week of March.
“Once they arrived at Padang Besar, Wan Besi with the help of his team smuggled Nur Sajat into the train carriage before crossing the national border. We believe that Wan Besi has dual citizenship and he is the one who is responsible for transporting Nur Sajat to a luxury condominium in Bangkok,” the source informed.
When asked about the actual cost of expenses, a source informed that Nur Sajat was charged RM20,000 during her eviction. The money is then said to have been distributed by Wan Besi with certain parties in Padang Besar who are in cahoots with him.
It turns out that Wan Besi is indeed active in smuggling activities at the Malaysia-Thailand border and made the KTMB area as the main route in carrying out his criminal deeds. The source informed that the individual has been arrested three times by the authorities in connection with a ketum smuggling case and most recently in regards to the shooting incident at the border which resulted in the death of a General Operations Force member, Harian Metro reported.
However, the individual known as ‘Wan Besi’ came forward to deny the accusations. He denied his involvement in helping the cosmetics entrepreneur escape the country through Padang Besar. The man’s lawyer, Zuhair Ahmad Zakuan who is representing the 51-year-old man claimed that his client is only a cattle farmer and was not involved in any illegal activities.
“My client just underwent heart surgery and he is a cattle farmer. He is known as ‘Wan Besi’ among the locals. The purpose of my client coming here is to give an explanation and clear his name and I will discuss with ‘Wan Besi’ whether he wants to lodge a police report after this,” he told reporters outside the Kangar District Police Headquarters today.
Commenting on a local newspaper who had alleged Wan Besi as a traitor for assisting in Nur Sajat’s escape, Zuhair described the accusation as serious and baseless as his client has no criminal records. Kangar district deputy police chief DSP Mohd Anuar Junoh, when contacted, remarked that no directive or warrant of arrest was issued against the individual by PDRM in Perlis as Nur Sajat’s case was being handled by Bukit Aman.
Meanwhile, Thailand is mulling over their decision on whether or not to deport the wanted Nur Sajat back to Malaysia. The process of her deportation is currently ongoing but it could take time as right groups have urged Thai authorities not to deport the queer businesswoman as she could face the ill-treatment of transgender people in Malaysia.
Thai foreign ministry spokesman Tanee Sangrat said the government was “considering this matter based on the law and Thailand’s humanitarian principles”.
Sources: Harian Metro, The Sun Daily, FMT
