Proposed work pass for stateless youths ‘dangerous’ — PBS Youth

KENINGAU: Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) Youth chief Datuk Jake Jikulin Nointin said the proposal to give work passes to stateless youths in the State is an approach that would be dangerous and detrimental to the people of this State.

“By giving t hem a work permit, it would directly give them the right to seek asylum in this state,” he said in a statement here yesterday.

He also said they would compete for job opportunities with local youths without restrictions.

Thus, he said with limited employment opportunities and stateless youths being given work permit, definitely many local youths would be unemployed. Furthermore, these stateless youth would be more than willing to accept lower wages.

Jake reckoned that giving work permit to stateless youths would also encourage more inf lux of illegal immigrants to the state.

“Foreign youths, after successfully sneaking into this state, could register as a stateless youth to get a work permit and thus live in luxury in this state.

“Likewise, parents of foreigners who sneaked into this state, will also enjoy work permit given without any qualms.

“Is this what we want? Is this what the leaders and people of Sabah want to achieve from the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) and the committees formed under it? Of course not!” he stressed.

Jake believes the presence of these stateless youth in this state is through no fault of their own. These stateless youths are, in fact, children of illegal immigrants born here or have entered the state illegally.

They are, in fact, foreigners residing in the state illegally. So by giving them work permit, we would also giving work passes to all illegal immigrants who are in the state now. They cannot be assimilated or put on equal footing with our own youths or people who are genuinely Sabahans but defaulted possibly due to isolation or registered late, having no birth certificates and identity cards.

“I believe the government, particularly the state government, is committed and sincere in its ef forts to f ind solutions with regard to the illegal immigrants.

“I pray, however, that the recommendation or proposal to provide work permits for stateless youths in the state will not be considered at all,” he said.

Jake added if a youth is considered stateless by virtue of having no birth certificates and i dentity cards but with strong evidence that they are pure citizens of this state, by all means, grant them citizenship through production of birth certificate or identity cards but not work permit.