KOTA KINABALU: Nonsensical statements by federal leaders are common place in Sabah and the latest to irk the locals is Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi who declared that the government will carry out a “major crackdown” on illegal immigrants after Hari Raya.
Condemning Zahid’s statement as “rubbish talk by Umno”, local activist Patrick Sindu said illegal immigrants were a perennial and ongoing issue in Sabah.
“Malaysian prime ministers have come and gone, and home ministers have also come and gone but illegal immigrants from the Philippines and Indonesia are still here, increasing in numbers and more daring to invade us.
“It is a great-grandmother’s talk by Umno. They don’t mean what they say, it is just an Umno’s ploy to give false hope to Sabahans and other Malaysians…,” said an agitated Sindu yesterday.
Sindu who was a long-serving leader of a consumer body CASH before it was deregistered recently, challenged Zahid to show concrete results in decreasing dramatically the number of illegal immigrants in Sabah, including expunging their ill-gotten Malaysian documentation from his ministry.
“It has been so many years already the Federal government kept on promising us Sabahans to resolve this perennial problem but to this day nothing satisfactory had been done.
“I won’t be too far away from the truth if I say the immigrants are the livelihood of these Umno leaders and that is why they are here still.
“Many of their children are now Umno members, supporters and voters, as have been exposed at the on-going RCI inquiry in the High Court here for the past weeks,” said Sindu.
Sindu said said Zahid was “talking rubbish” and that even the findings and recommendations of RCI would end up as mere papers as long as the ruling party does not mean what they say on cleaning Sabah of illegal immigrants.
Yesterday, Zahid said the crackdown after Hari Raya, was necessary since the Umno-led BN government viewed the issue of illegal immigrants seriously since their presence may increase crime, drugs, prostitution and other illicit activities that may threaten the country’s security.
Zahid had also, at another function yesterday, alluded to the Sulu invasion saying the country’s security forces was not rattled by rumours of another intrusion by Kiram terrorists.
Bernama reported him as urging Sabahans “not to worry or listen to rumours”.
He said security cooperation with the Philippines remained close to ensure that the movement into Sabah was closely monitored.
Despite Zahid’s assurance, Sabah’s porous borders and its population’s shared lineage remains a challenge to the security forces.
by Luke Rintod
HAVE YOU ALL HEARD OF THE AUSTRALIA SOLUTION?
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Sabah should send all illegals to Malaya! The Malayan colonial gov't created this shitty situation - it should bear all responsibility!
Sabah has immigration powers under 20 Points Agreement- but where are they now??
This is the government's solution, talk delay talk delay talk delay, do something small, talk delay talk delay and so forth
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