KOTA KINABALU – Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor has urged the people not to jump the gun on the Kad Warga Asing (Foreigner Card) issue, as the decision is not final.
He said what was announced by Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin yesterday was merely a recommendation from the Technical Committee of the Sabah Migrant Management Committee.
“(The matter) will be further deliberated by the Sabah state government before a final decision is made,” he said in a statement today.
The chief minister was adamant that the proposal does not involve giving non-citizens either identification cards or a document that grants them citizenship.
He added that the proposal will have to undergo fine-tuning by taking into account views and inputs from all stakeholders, including political parties, activists, and the people.
“As a responsible government, the GRS government will always be guided by the interest of the people and state in its decision-making.
“The GRS government takes note of all the views and inputs from all quarters, following the statement by the home minister.
“It is better for all not to jump the gun,” he said.
Yesterday, Hamzah announced that the Home Ministry is mulling the proposal by the Sabah government to grant Kad Warga Asing to all migrants in Sabah.
Hajiji said the state government has proposed two documents – Kad Warga Asing and Kad Pekerja Warga Asing (Foreign Worker Card) – to standardise documentation for all holders of IMM 13, Sijil Banci, and the Kad Burung-Burung, which were previously issued to Philippine nationals and all legal migrant workers.
“The proposed Kad Pekerja Warga Asing will be issued to all migrant workers in the plantation, agriculture and fisheries, manufacturing, construction, and domestic helpers sectors, amongst others.
“We need to establish a database of migrant workers so that there is a systematic record of their presence in the state,” he said.
Hajiji said the GRS government is steadfast on the principles of transparency in finding a solution to the irregular migrant issue and ensures that all quarters will be able to get accurate information on the matter.
“Our stand is that all undocumented migrants must be deported, and only those who are working legally in the state will be issued the Kad Pekerja Warga Asing.
“Background checks will be done, and those with criminal records will face the full brunt of the law,” he stressed.
Hajiji said that the Sabah government takes into account views and input from relevant parties who share their concern on this issue.
At the state level, Hajiji said that he will chair the State Security Committee (JKKNS), while the state secretary will head the working committee.
Key JKKNS members comprise the Eastern Sabah Security Command, armed forces, police, the Immigration and Registration Departments, the Internal Affairs and Research Office of the Chief Minister’s Department, and the National Security Council as joint secretariat.
Hajiji said that in line with the government’s efforts to attract more investments into Sabah, among the main criteria would be the availability of a sufficient workforce.
He also welcomed the federal government’s efforts to jointly deliberate on the way forward to resolve the issue. – The Vibes, February 11, 2022
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