KOTA KINABALU, Sept. 23 -- Defending the move to block businessman Datuk Albert Tei from entering Sabah, chief minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said that the state has the absolute right to decide who can enter the state.

Tei, a businessman who is the key complainant in an ongoing graft case involving two assemblymen, claimed that his entry ban was politically motivated and linked directly to Hajiji's office.

"The state government has the absolute power to determine who can or cannot enter Sabah," Hajiji told reporters after launching the Kedai Jujur 2025 programme at SK Mutiara here.

"But action is only taken after we receive full reports and information from the security authorities," he added.

Tei, who had a court hearing today told...