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April 12th, 2013 
Senator Nick Xenophon holds up his deportation notice as he arrives at Adelaide Airport after his deportation from Malaysia in February.
Source: Getty Images
INDEPENDENT Senator Nick Xenophon will take on the Malaysian Government in court after being deported and banned from the country earlier this year.
The South Australian Senator this morning said he had filed proceedings in the Malaysian High Court to overturn an order banning him from entering Malaysia.
Senator Xenophon, who held the balance of power in the last Parliament, sparked a diplomatic incident in February when he was detained at Kuala Lumpur airport during unofficial parliamentary business.
Arriving in the country ahead of a planned visit with other MPs Senator Xenophon was stopped immediately on arrival, held in custody for 16 hours and put under security detail after being deemed a security risk. He snacked on McDonald’s and table crackers before being eventually deported.
This morning Senator Xenophon said he would take on a ruling by the Director General of Immigration of Malaysia to permanently ban him from the country.
“The Malaysian Government’s actions were surprising, extraordinary and unwarranted, that’s why I am challenging the orders deporting and banning me,” he said.
“I have the greatest respect for the Malaysian people and would very much like to be able to visit Malaysia again in the future.”
Senator Xenophon said he had written to Foreign Minister Bob Carr to seek his support in overturning the decision.
At the time of his detention Senator Carr labelled the move by Malaysian officials a “surprising and disappointing act”.
“If Australia’s Foreign Minister truly believes my deportation was ‘surprising’ and ‘disappointing’, I am looking forward to the Australian Government supporting me in having these orders overturned,” Senator Xenophon said.
Malaysia said the official reason for detaining and deporting Senator Xenophon was due to his attendance at a pro-democracy rally in April 2012.
Malaysian officials said he took part in the “illegal” rally.
But Senator Xenophon denies he was a participant and said he was simply observing the protest.
The independent Senator said he was tear-gassed three times at the event.
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