When I mentioned I was going for an adventure, I really mean it. But little did I know the adventure will be just ONE day. The travel was supposed to be 6 months (3 months Australia, 3 months New Zealand) and then head home.
Here is how it began. The flight from Kuala Lumpur to Sydney is about 8hours. My flight was at 2340 and scheduled to reach Sydney at 0945. I couldn't get much sleep on the plane as I was excited for the long awaited adventure ahead. I booked this flight literally more than a year ago when I decided to quit my job and it costed me RM275 without baggage of course.
About 8 hours later, I touchdown Sydney. Real excited I was. I can't wait to see Sydney and Australia. When I reached the Immigration checkpoint, handed over my passport, waited for the officer to clear me through, he just shouted out "another one" and passed my passport to another officer behind him and asked me to follow the officer with my passport.
I guessed it must be a random check on Malaysian passport holder as Malaysians are well known in Australia for overstaying and illegal working. I was much obliged to follow the officer for further questioning. So, the whole conversation began with officer B.
He asked for my purpose to visit Australia and did I have any intention of working there. I answered I was traveling at the moment and also visiting my friends with no intention to work as I was traveling with a tourist visa. Normal procedures I guessed. Next questions were, did I have enough money, return ticket, place to stay, had a job. I answered all these questions in hope to finish the conversation as fast as possible. I showed him my money (about 2500AUD), my ticket to New Zealand from Melbourne, my friend's address (a couchsurfer) and my still valid working visa from the Philippines in my passport.
Normally, it's sufficient to get through the Immigration but this officer was professional maybe STEREOTYPE? He continued to ask me if I had the intention to work in Australia again and of course my answer was NO. And then he asked for my phone as my itinerary was in it and proceeded into the office. I waited for about 30 minutes when he came out again and asked me to follow him into the office.
I was brought into this room, Interview Room. More of an Interrogation Room I suppose. He went out and came back with a question, "I think you don't understand me, do you need an interpreter?" I sensed something went wrong at that moment and I did find that question INSULTING even though he tried to be sarcastic as I had been talking with him for almost an hour in English. I told him I didn't need an interpreter as English is my main language. He went out and came back with a stack of paper and a recorder.
Before starting the interview, he switched on the recorder and proceeded with the procedure with asking my details. So, he asked again if I planned to work in Australia or not. Answering him again, I said no. He predicted I would say so and handed over the stack of paper for me to see. I knew the moment what those papers were when he brought in, my conversation histories in my phone. All clearly stating, I had the INTENTION to work and travel in Australia.
Caught red handed, I had no choice at that time. I just told him, "NO COMMENT". To put things clear, I do had the intention to work and travel and also helping (Helpx) while traveling too. Obviously, I had no idea that even helping is a NO NO in Australia. Apparently, under section 116(b)(i) of the Migration Act 1958, business activity does not include an activity that is, or includes, undertaking work for, or supplying services to, an organisation or other person based in Australia. I guess helping is supplying services in this case.
In short, I understand that they don't need TRAVELERS like me but only TOURISTS. They need people to spend lots of money in Australia which I wasn't prepared to. I was supposed to help someone in exchange for food and accommodation and that was against the law. An intention was enough to prove me guilty here. So, they asked me to sign some papers (Notice of Intention to Consider Cancelling a Visa) to which I was much obliged to as I had nothing to defend myself anymore.
All I know was that they had the intention to DENIED me entry into Australia in the beginning. If they didn't had the intention, they wouldn't investigate so thoroughly. I presented to them all the valid documents needed to get through Immigration just like everybody else and I mean people from other countries. They hold me up just because I'm a Malaysian or Asian, I had no idea. To call them STEREOTYPE or not, I had no idea too. They were just doing their job I supposed.
I shall continue with Part 2 in another article where I got detained and sent to Villawood Immigration Detention Centre.
p/s. Don't take any offence if you are offended. It's L.I.F.E.
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