Zahid: Some RCI proposals adopted

KUALA LUMPUR: The government has implemented several recommendations of the Royal Commission Inquiry on illegal immigrants in Sabah, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said.

These recommendations, he said, were in accordance with stipulated procedures.

Zahid added that the Committee on the Management of Foreigners in Sabah had been set up as a result of the RCI findings in 2014, adding that the committee was divided into a main committee and technical committee.

He said the main committee was jointly chaired by him and Sabah Chief Minister Tan Sri Musa Aman while Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan chaired the technical committee.

Zahid said this during his winding-up speech for the 2018 Budget debate where several members of parliament asked him about the situation involving illegal immigrants in Sabah and the presence of fake identification documents there.

He said, since the establishment of the committee, more deportations of illegal immigrants from Sabah had been enforced.

“This shows the seriousness of the committee in tackling the illegal immigrant issue, with the highest number of deportations at 27,769 in 2015.

“We have collaborated with the Philippine government to deport illegal immigrants to their home country.

“The committee is ready and willing to receive feedback from all parties to overcome this issue,” he said.

Zahid added that it was unfair to accuse National Registration Department officers of selling fake identification documents to foreigners.

“We used to have ISA (Internal Security Act) and when it was in force, a lot of syndicate members were arrested under the act (for supplying fake documents to immigrants).

“But now ISA has been abolished, but we can use the current legislation as a preventive measure.”

On India’s plan to extradite preacher Dr Zakir Naik, Zahid said Kuala Lumpur would comply if the request was made.

To date, there had been no such application.

“During my visit to India, I met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Zakir was among the topics we discussed.

“Currently, there is no extradition request for him.

“However, if India requests that he be extradited via Mutual Legal Assistance, we will comply,” he told the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.