Tangau demands clarification from dept

KOTA KINABALU: Deputy Chief Minister cum Minister of Trade and Industry Datuk Seri Panglima Wilfred Madius Tangau has urged the Immigration Department to clarify on IMM13 registration and census on refugees.

Tangau said that the Sabah Immigration Department stopped the registration of IMM13 passes for children of Filipino refugees on Oct 12.

Its state director, Datuk Musa Sulaiman, had reportedly said this was being done for the department to analyse their weaknesses after the registration ban on IMM13 document was lifted on Oct 1, he said.

Immigration Director General Datuk Seri Mustafar Ali meanwhile said that under MA63, Sarawak and Sabah have the power to regulate immigration for our states.

"In fact, Malaysians from the Peninsula require a permit if they want to work or study in Sarawak or Sabah.

"In this context, if the Federal Government has decided to run a census on IMM13 immigrants and their children in Sabah, the State Cabinet needs to know and it is in fact the prerogative of the State Government to approve this before it is being carried out,” said Tangau.

“Does that mean that the KL folks overwrite the Sabah State Government or a decision has been done at the federal level to run a census on IMM13 and we were not aware about it?” he asked.

"Please come clean and brief the State Cabinet if the refugees in Sabah still have their status as refugees?

"And what was the justification for the IMM13 to be renewed by Sabah as claimed by the Sabah chief earlier? Whose directive was that please?" Tangau asked.

Mustafar had clarified that there was no IMM13 registration as perceived.

Instead, he said the “registration” was actually an effort to get a census on the number of children of Filipino refugees in Sabah.

He said it was not an effort to get these children registered for the IMM13 passes and a misunderstanding had led them to rush to the Immigration office in Wisma Dang Bandang here.

Musa had, on the other hand, said they reopened the registration on Oct 1 this year, after it was stopped in 2013 due to various reasons.

The registration was however stopped on Oct 12 following complaints and confusion.