Jeffrey: Warisan making up excuses not to deport PTIs

KOTA KINABALU - STARSABAH party is asking the ruling Parti Warisan Sabah from making anymore excuses not to catch and deport illegal immigrants in Sabah.

StarSabah’s president, Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan finds it troubling to note that even Azis Jamman, the deputy home minister, is making the false statement that the Philippine government is refusing to take back their people from Sabah.

“It’s inconceivable that the Philippines would refuse to accept back their own people. As a country it is duty-bound to work with Malaysia on this serious matter,” Dr. Jeffrey said. “Even the Philippine consulate had opened an office in Kota Kinabalu to provide consular service, including providing passports and documents.

“And it’s very unbecoming of a Malaysian minister to speak as if he is doing so on behalf of the Philippne government. He ends up appearing to make excuses to convert the illegals our citizens here.

“Refugees are normally under the UNHCR and their repatriation (after the war) should also be discussed with the UN agency to resolve the problems of repatriation—-how to repatriate them or send them to third countries. The UNHCR has a representative  office in Kuala Lumpur, so why not co-operate with it?

“Azis says children and grandchildren of IMM13 holders prefer to stay in Sabah, but that is not the issue,” he added. “The issue is IMM13 holders and refugees. The same thing applies to holders of Sijil Burung and Cencus Card (Kad Banci), documents which shouldn’t be recognised in Malaysia.”

Dr. Jeffrey said that what Azis is doing is very much in tune with the clever excuse given by the chief minister, Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal, that the decision to give the Temporary Sabah Pass (Pas Sementara Sabah or PSS) to 600,000 holders of these documents, will not be qualified for citizenship.

“On this I have asked why give the pas a three-year validy and not one year?” he said. “And how come there was no specified conditions attached to these passes, that is if they function as work passes as well, if the holders will have property ownership right,  or if they will be allowed to move about freely?

“Sabah s already flooded with illegal immigrants, and this plays as a vital factor in the still on-ging Sabah claim. If the Malaysian government can walk its talk about being fair to Sabah why not show it by distributing these 600,000 illegals qually to all 11 states in Malaya?” Dr. Jeffrey asked.

He also told Azis dan Shafie that any play of words and twisting of facts by the ruling government can be easily read through by the people.

“Don’t take the people of Sabah for fools. We have learned enough for having been cheated for more than half a century, and we are no longer complacent and ignorant like we were in the 1960s,” he said.