KUALA LUMPUR: Paying heed to one of the pressing concerns of Sabahans, the Government will launch a huge operation to “chase out” illegal immigrants from the state, said Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
The Deputy Prime Minister said the number of checkpoints in Sabah would be increased, and a more significant security presence ensured.
To a question, he said the action was not due to pressure from Barisan Nasional component parties in Sabah “but because we believe that it is a serious problem, and the people of Sabah want action to be taken.”
“The Government is really committed to reducing the problem of illegal immigrants in the state,” he told reporters yesterday after chairing the Cabinet committee on illegal immigrants at one of the meeting rooms in Parliament.
Also present was Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Musa Aman.
Najib said he would meet Barisan component parties in Sabah to tell of the decision reached and to get their feedback on the proposed measure.
He said, from 1990 until May this year, some 300,000 illegals in Sabah had been sent back to their home countries.
“And we are prepared to do more,” he said, adding that the Government, however, did not have figures on the number of illegal immigrants in the state.
He said those without documents, classified as illegal immigrants, and those who had overstayed would be sent back “to countries that will take them.”
He said the Government would be talking to the governments of the Philippines and Indonesia on the matter because most of the illegals were from the two countries.
Asked how the Government would handle the illegals who had managed to get hold of Malaysian identity cards and were claiming to be Malaysians, Najib said the issue was a complex problem.
“So let us handle it step by step,” he added.
On claims that for more than a decade, illegal immigrants had been given Malaysian identity cards so that they could vote in the general election, he said: “There are all kinds of claims. The most important is to, first, send back the illegals. The other problems we will handle later.”
To a question, Najib said illegal immigrant settlements like Pulau Gaya and Kinarut might be affected. “These are things we will check on. What is important is a firm commitment to tackle this problem.”
He said the root cause of the illegals problem was that ”traditionally people don’t recognise the borders, and moved in and out” for economic opportunities.
The illegals issue has been a long festering problem in the state. Recently, SAPP took issue with the Federal Government and the Prime Minister for failing to act on the problem, which it said was reaching a boiling point.
