100,000 illegals in Sabah

KUALA LUMPUR, March 27 (New Sabah Times) -- The estimated number of illegal immigrants in Sabah has been put at 100,000 by the State Security Working Committee, the Parliament was told.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz said that the number of illegal immigrants in Sabah was not as high as what had been painted by some quarters.

In reply to a question from Keningau MP Datuk Seri Joseph Pairin Kitingan, Nazri said that although the number of immigrants was high, many including foreign workers had proper documents.

“The State Security Working Committee (JKKN) has estimated the number of illegal immigrants in Sabah at around 100,000.

“These include those who do not have any document or their travel documents have expired,” he said in a written reply.

Pairin had asked the Prime Minister on the steps taken by the Federal Government to wipe out the problem of illegal immigrants in Sabah which was still widespread.

Nazri said that illegal immigrants in Sabah were no longer moving around freely following a step-up in integrated operations to nab them that were carried out by police, immigration and te Federal Special Task Force (FSTF).

“The Federal Government views the problem of illegal immigrants in Sabah as a security problem and not as mere social problem.

“The Federal Special Task Force was set up to address is so that planned and integrated operations can be mounted against them.

“And we will step up these operations,” Nazri said adding that so far this year, two major operations were carried out by these agencies in Keningau and Labuan.

According to him, the police were carrying daily operations against illegal immigrants through its crime prevention sting and the results could be seen in temporary detention centres in Tawau, Sandakan and Kota Kinabalu that have become full.

Nazri added that the three detention centres on average could accommodate 2,200 detainess daily while deportations to Indonesia and the Philipines were carried out on a weekly basis.

In addition, he said the FSTS recorded 57,619 Phillippines nationals who are given refugee status and they have the right to reside and work in Sabah and Labuan.

At the same time, FSTF recorded that there were 447,656 foreign workers in Sabah and Labuan between 2002 and 2005.

They were allowed to work in various sectors like manufacturing, service, logging, plantation, and agriculture sectors.

Nazri also said that many locals tended to deem foreign workers who have documents to works as illegal immigrants.