Yong: Sandakan voters should reject policy on illegals

SANDAKAN - SAPP president Datuk Yong Teck Lee has called on the people of Sandakan to reject the policy to grant valid documents to illegal immigrants and stateless children.

He feared that this will allow them to eventually become Malaysian citizens.

Sandakan people should also send a clear message to the government that the people are angry with the decision to give a Sabah island to illegal immigrants because the island could become a hotbed of cross-border criminals," the former Chief Minister said in a statement yesterday.

Yong was also perplexed with the scene at some squatter settlements which have been burnt where a mobile unit of the National Registration Department (Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara) was parked to assist squatters.

"I wonder why the squatters were able to save their furniture and refrigerators, as seen in photos, but were not able to save their MyKads.

"Such curious scenes have made Sabahans uneasy about the intention of the authorities towards illegal immigrants.

"DAP leaders, all of whom have swarmed Sandakan in the last three weeks, have been strangely silent on the issue of illegal immigrants," he said adding that at gatherings all over Sandakan, the DAP leaders spoke on many things except on illegal immigration in Sabah."

By Michael Teh