KOTA KINABALU – Sabah Deputy Chief Minister II Datuk Seri Jeffrey Kitingan has dismissed the invitation by state opposition to speak at a forum on the “flooding” of illegal migrants in Sabah as nothing more than “politics and rhetoric”.
In fact, Sabah’s STAR president said the local plantation and building industries are in dire need of them as workers.
The opposition alliance in the state earlier today held a presser calling for PBS president Datuk Seri Maximus Ongkili and Jeffrey to make their presence at the “Kebanjiran PTI di Sabah” (the flooding of illegal immigrants in Sabah) forum on July 14 at the Palace Hotel here around 8pm.
The e-poster billed some of the state’s political leaders who are also vocal on the issue – Upko president Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau, Upko’s honorary president Tan Sri Bernard Dompok, DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang, former Sabah state secretary Tan Sri Simon Sipaun and DAP’s Kapayan assemblyman Jannie Lasimbang.
“This is more politics and rhetoric. I have already invited all political parties to the town hall meeting. Political parties attended, but look who were the attendees,” Jeffrey responded when asked by The Vibes, today.
“Besides, there is no ‘flood’. In fact, the plantation and building industries are short of labour presently!” he added.
Jeffrey who chaired the Sabah Special Committee on Undocumented Foreign Workers and Migrants and Foreign Nationals held a town hall session on June 2 which was attended by various non-governmental groups and leaders from political parties.
The voting was held during the one-day town hall session.
Many voted their assent to setting up a digital record on the existing migrants in Sabah and voted yes to the issuance of an identity card to them in the second resolution.
The committee’s report on the town hall will now be presented to the cabinet and the federal government for further deliberation. – The Vibes, July 12, 2022
