Implement solution to address four categories of illegals — UPKO

KOTA KINABALU: United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (UPKO) wants the solution that would address the four categories of illegal immigrants in Sabah to be implemented.

Its president, Datuk Seri Panglima Madius Tangau, said that the four categories of illegal immigrants in Sabah were undocumented foreigners who came to Sabah and/or are in Sabah; immigrants who fled the Philippines and were now holding IMM13, Kad Burung-Burung also known as Kad Banci documentation; foreigners who were born in Sabah by foreigners who were undocumented hence rendering them as people without nation or stateless; and foreigners who have attained suspicious identification card document.

He added that UPKO will continue to urge for the reissuance of the new Malaysia identification card so that people who have gotten their identification card through dubious means can be identified and taken action against.

As for the other three categories, he said that UPKO is open to working with any parties to find a solution for them.

Madius also said that the allegations that UPKO was a shepherd of illegal immigrants were untrue.

“These are lies made by irresponsible parties,” he said when launching the tri-annual general meeting for UPKO’s Tuaran division branches.

Madius also reminded that parliamentarians from UPKO had incessantly voiced out the issue of illegal immigrants in Sabah at parliament, leading to the strained relationship between UPKO leaders and the Sabah Chief Minister at that time.

“Aside from that UPKO has done its best during our participation as a component member of Barisan Nasional to find a solution on the issue of illegal immigrants in Sabah. In 2007, the president of UPKO, Tan Sri Bernard Dompok was appointed as chairman of the parliament special select committee on integrity. This committee focused on integrity issues at the National Registration Department,” he said.

He also said that UPKO also urged the Prime Minister then, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to set up a Royal Commission of Inquiry on the flooding of illegal immigrants in Sabah.

Madius said that Dompok had threatened to resign as a federal cabinet minister if the RCI was not set up, and this had subsequently led to its establishment in 2012 and the report concerning it was tabled in parliament in 2013.