KOTA KINABALU – Former Sabah deputy chief minister Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan has more harsh words for Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin over the Kad Warga Asing (foreigner cards) issue, saying the card’s issuance will only undermine Malaysian laws and attract more undocumented migrants here.
“When we decide not to enforce our laws, we are undermining our country’s sovereignty and security.
“While we may be citizens of the world, each country has its own laws, especially immigration and security ones.
“Every country has its own duty and obligation to enforce its own laws,” he said in a statement.
Similar to how the government is enforcing the Covid-19 standard operating procedures, Pairin said the same vigorous enforcement must be carried out on matters concerning immigration.
Repatriate or send them elsewhere: Pairin
Two days ago, Hamzah, in defence of the proposed foreigner cards, said it was time to resolve Sabah’s long-standing migrant woes.
Pairin said it is the government’s constitutional duty to protect and safeguard Malaysian borders and keep out undocumented migrants.
“Malaysia does not want people entering our country during the pandemic when these people or ‘citizens of the world’ are unvaccinated.
“Don’t pretend to be kind-hearted by giving irregular migrants the card. Those who have been here for a while are the result of the non-action of the relevant authorities and fall into the category of either refugees or undocumented migrants.”
He said the refugees should have been repatriated or sent to another country, using the example of Vietnamese refugees in Bidong Island, Terengganu decades ago.
Bidong Island was opened as a refugee camp in August 1978 during the Vietnam War and housed more 250,000 refugees during its operations.
The camp was closed on October 30, 1991 and the refugees were repatriated to Vietnam until the last refugee was sent home in 2005.
‘We all know why no action was taken’
Pairin reiterated that undocumented migrants in Sabah have already received the appropriate attention such as work permits, in addition to RM13 million spent by the government to keep some of them detained prior to their deportation.
“The refugees should have been dealt with a long time ago by the federal government. I think we all know why no action was taken, and why no clear transparent direction was planned.”
It is believed that Pairin is possibly referring to Projek IC.
According to the Statistics Department, one in every three persons in Sabah’s close to four million population are migrants.
The royal commission of inquiry confirmed the granting of citizenship to undocumented migrants, which occurred in the 1990s.
The target was to process some 40,000 to 100,000 identity cards to be issued to migrants in Sabah.
It is said, however, that such granting of citizenship had started as early as 1988. – The Vibes, February 17, 2022
