Feb 28 protest over recruitment of Bangladeshi workers

KOTA KINABALU: People’s Solidarity (SORAK) will once again organize a Black Sunday 5.0 Flashmob on February 28 at Gaya Street to protest the entry of 1.5 million Bangladeshi workers into Malaysia, especially to Sabah.

In a statement issued yesterday, Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) Youth Media Secretary Jeffery George said the presence of Bangladeshi migrant workers will increase existing social and security problems in Sabah and that the party strongly objects to the Federal Government’s move to recruit 1.5 million Bangladeshis into Malaysia.

“We are aware of the shortage of workers in our country and also the need for economic development in Sabah but look at our youths here who are jobless and shackled by poverty.

“There are still many youths in Sabah who are without a job and some had to find jobs overseas for a living but there are still a handful of people who say that the youth of today are too choosy and lazy to work in the service sector where work is very tiring and dirty. Some people always forget that ‘dirty hands are a sign of clean money’ and from what I saw most of our Sabah youths who migrate abroad are working in this sector for a living.

“Right home here as what is happening in Sabah, the youth are facing competition from the ‘instant bumiputras’ or ‘new Malaysians’ created from political motives.

“As such, we as the Sabah Youth today and the future of Sabah urge the public to come to the protest on February 28 at Gaya Street to jointly express your objection to the admission of 1.5 million foreign workers. Only we can save us in Sabah,” Jeffery urged.

Meanwhile, the organizing chairman of Black Sunday 5.0, Clifford Spencer said that he had already sent the application to apply for a public assembly permit from the police as well as City Hall (DBKK) on Thursday and looked forward to a favourable response.