KOTA KINABALU – A Sabah opposition rep has urged the state government to set up a fair permanent residency (PR) application system instead of expediting the issuance of the status to the “super-rich” just to secure investments.
Stressing that there should be no double standards when processing these applications, Luyang assemblyman Phoong Jin Zhe of DAP said the approvals granted must be just.
The proposal for a special PR status for the wealthy should be done away with, he said.
The former state youth and sports minister’s remarks come after Sabah Economic Advisory Council chairman Tan Sri David Chu mooted a special PR card to woo the rich to the state.
“I have no problem with the idea of attracting more investors to develop the state by issuing PR passes, but it is high time that we have an effective system in place to allow qualified applicants to apply for PR in Sabah,” said Phoong.
“We have so many pending PR applications, and they are mostly Malaysians, not foreigners.
“They came from the peninsula and Sarawak, and have been living in Sabah for decades.”
He said many of these applicants, who have children born and raised in Sabah, and have contributed to the state’s economy for decades, are still not recognised as Sabahans under the law.
Some of these individuals have waited years for their PR applications to be approved, he said, and it is unfair to them if the super-rich are given preferential treatment and allowed to jump the queue.
“We must establish a better, fair system for all, and not focus only on the rich.”
He noted that many non-Sabahans are separated from their families due to travel restrictions imposed to curb Covid-19.
“During the pandemic, we have been contacted by many who face immigration difficulties because they are not formally recognised as Sabahans despite having lived here for decades.”
They are denied entry upon arrival in the state and forced to go back to the peninsula or Sarawak even though their homes are in Sabah, he said.
“So, where should they go?”
Though many were born and raised in Sabah, they are deprived of their right to return home, and encounter obstacles when applying for PR status in the state, he said. – The Vibes, April 24, 2021
