POLICE in Sabah are set to launch an imminent operation to curb the presence of undocumented immigrants, most of whom have entered the state through illegal means for economic gain.
Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Jauteh Dikun said they have identified a total of 538 squatter colonies, with a significant portion providing the perfect hideout for the illegal immigrants.
"The time has come for us to collaborate with all relevant departments for this operation.
As for the Royal Malaysian Police (RMP), we have made preparations for the operational actions," he said, adding that work is now being carried out to gather comprehensive information, including data and intelligence.
"Up to now, we have identified a total of 538 squatter colonies in Sabah. The majority of them are fully occupied by the illegal immigrants, while some are a mix of locals and the migrants," he added.
Last year, Jauteh had said that the police had been working on several plans to deal with the illegal migrant problem in Sabah while citing data from the Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom).
The Esscom data released in September last year revealedt hat 543 squatter settlements across Sabah and Labuan were housing over 140,000 illegal immigrants, presenting a security challenge for the authorities.
Among these economic migrants, over 90,000 are Filipinos, 45,000 are Indonesians, and 5,000 hail from various other regions, including South Asia.
The town of Lahad Datu takes the lead with 130 such settlements, closely followed by Beluran with 96, Keningau with 48, and Papar with 39.
Other areas, including Kota Kinabalu, Tuaran, Sandakan, Penampang, Kota Belud, Semporna, Kudat, Kinabatangan, Tawau, Ranau, Sipitang, Kunak, Tenom, Labuan, Kota Marudu, and Beaufort, are also grappling with the same challenges.
Esscom's data however does not encompass the various registered housing units and private lands that are also believed to be rented out to illegal immigrants.
The 2022 census report by the Statistics Department revealed that foreigners constitute 22.8%, or 779,500 individuals, of the of the total residents in the state.
Some 2.663 million people, making up 77.2%, are locals among Sabah’s total population of 3.412 million.
The data also showed the population of Sabah had increased by five-fold from 653,604 people in 1970 to 3,418,785 people in 2020.
Experts believed this has been caused by the interplay between natural population increase and trans-national migration.
The problem of illegal immigrants is one of the legacy issues in Sabah where their presence is impacting the economy, straining social services, bringing cultural and identity shifts, and raising security issues to the people of Sabah. – The Vibes, February 11, 2024
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