INQUIRY AN OPTION

29th May, 2008
KOTA KINABALU: A Royal Commission of Inquiry on the presence of illegal immigrants in Sabah is only one of the options available to try and resolve the issue.

But it does not guarantee that the problem would be resolved, said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Haji Aman.

“Any option taken must meet its intended objective which is to get rid of illegal immigrants from the state.

“Any approach taken must also be sincere in nature, not merely as a tool for the opposition to gain political mileage,” he said after chairing the state cabinet meeting at Wisma Innoprise yesterday.

Musa said employers of migrant workers and landlords must also be responsible and ensure that their workers and tenants were of legal status.

“We also want the government of the Philippines and Indonesia to be responsible and extend their cooperation to Malaysia in the deportation of their nationals.”

He said the State government believed the issue of illegal immigrants could be resolved through systematic and coordinated enforcement by the relevant authorities namely the police and armed forces, Special Task Force, Immigration and National Registration Departments as well as the cooperation of the Philippines and Indonesia.

“Witch hunting or finger pointing will not solve the problem. What is needed is concerted joint effort among the relevant authorities.

“It must also be stated that just because the capture and repatriation of illegals are not widely publicised, the public especially the opposition perceive that the government is not taking any action against their presence here. Of course, the opposition further spreads this misperception to gain political mileage,” he said.

Musa said the government was taking a comprehensive approach in overcoming the illegal immigrant problem, including increased surveillance of the borders through Ops Pasir by the Armed Forces and Ops Tanjung by the Police, which has helped curb the entry of illegals from neighbouring countries.

He said the presence of surveillance posts on surrounding islands have also succeeded in reducing piracy in Sabah waters.

“I have also asked the Military Joint Forces to inform the public on the security measures they have taken including the setting up of surveillance radars along the east coast to monitor our waters,” he said.

Musa also said while not widely publicised the arrests of illegal immigrants was ongoing, whereby in 2007, 26,332 illegals were captured and 18,707 were deported and up to March this year, 5,256 were nabbed and 4,089 repatriated.

“Furthermore, the capacity of the temporary detention centres will be increased through the expansion of the centre in Tawau and the construction of two more to be completed by end of the year. “The completion of these centres together with the existing ones is expected to be able to accommodate 10,000 detainees at any one time,” Musa said.

He said to effectively overcome the problem of illegal immigrants, the government also required the cooperation of everyone especially those who employ migrant workers.

Musa said it was estimated that there were 440,000 foreigners in Sabah, including 230,000 legal migrant workers, 80,000 Filipino refugees and 130,000 illegal immigrants.

He said the issue of illegal immigrants largely stemmed from migrant workers who came in legally in the beginning but did not return home after their work permit expired.

To make matters worse, the employers continued to employ them and paid their salaries despite their illegal status.

“So employers too have contributed to their presence here. In view of this the government is urging employers to be more responsible and give their cooperation in resolving the issue of illegal immigrants by employing only documented workers.

“Additionally, the public including rural folks should report the presence of illegals in their areas to the relevant authorities,” he added.

Musa said as a further step in overcoming the problem, the government would recommend that the Labour Department be included during operations against illegals, adding those caught employing migrant workers without the necessary licence would be liable to a RM10,000 fine or jail term of not more than six months.

“So, based on the measures that have been taken, the government is serious in handling the issue of illegals. The assumption that the government is not taking any action is wrong.

“What is important is to step up enforcement against them. Preventive measures must be continued by the relevant authorities namely the armed and police forces.”

He said the state administration would like the various operations against illegal immigrants to be increased and their repatriation undertaken as often as possible.

“Besides, all relevant agencies must be involved in such operations. Only a concerted joint effort among the government, relevant authorities, employers and the general public can resolve the issue of illegal immigrants in Sabah.

Musa reiterated that Malaysia needs the countries’ cooperation especially the Philippines in taking back their nationals when they are deported.

“We have no problem in employing migrant workers from theses countries. But they must be properly documented and stay here legally.

“They are not cooperating and hence have slowed down the deportation of Filipino illegals.”

Musa hoped the Philippine government would take concrete measures and accept the return of their own people.