KOTA KINABALU – Sabah chief minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor has welcomed Parti Bersatu Sabah’s (PBS) suggestion to form a state bipartisan select committee to address the illegal immigrant issue in the state.
The formation of the state select committee, he said, will complement work being done by Sabah deputy chief minister Datuk Seri Jeffrey Kitingan to resolve the inland migrant problem in Sabah.
The inland migrant refers to the foreigners holding the Surat Burung-Burung, IMM13 and census certificates issued by previous governments.
“I will bring this matter to the state cabinet and as a pre-requirement, I want all parties involved to be honest and sincere in finding a quick solution, as this is one of Sabah’s legacy issues, for long-term betterment of the state.
“At the same time, we will have to cooperate with the federal government to deal with this pressing issue that is burdening the people,” he said during his address at the PBS Congress, which ends here today.
Hajiji also said the state has agreed to establish a repository on Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) and matters linked to the formation Malaysia, which has been raised by PBS leader Datuk Seri Maximus Ongkili.
The Sulaman assemblyman said this in view of the recently concluded London fact-finding mission led by Ongkili, while describing the MA63 as the birth certificate of Malaysia and akin to the “holy writ to be used as reference for the ages.”
“We are lucky to have a leader like Ongkili, who is trustworthy and responsible in overseeing the implementation of the Special MA63 council at the federal level.
“Sabah will continue to fight, not just the full implementation of state rights as embedded in the constitution, but also the guarantees in the MA63,” he said.
Hajiji also defended Ongkili’s fact-finding mission to The National Archives in London, saying the state needed all the facts and data based on official records in the struggle to realise state rights.
“This is also important in building an understanding and acceptance among policy makers and policy implementers at the federal level where the MA63 is not only relevant to people in East Malaysia, but the reality is that MA63 is a joint document seen as a contract to the formation of Malaysia,” he added. – The Vibes, July 1, 2022
