Liew wants state govt to have full powers to tackle illegal immigrant issue

KOTA KINABALU: Full autonomy should be given to the Sabah government to handle the longstanding issue of undocumented immigrants and stateless foreigners here, says Datuk Christina Liew.

The PKR Api Api state assemblyman said that this would allow Sabah to find a more permanent solution to the problem that had been an issue since 1970s.

" It is obvious, the Royal Commission of Inquiry on Illegal Immigrants in Sabah (RCI) that was set up in 2012 had failed to resolve the problem," she said.

She noted there was a lack of political will to act on the numerous recommendations of the RCI.

"Only through full autonomy for Sabah will the State be able to resolve this problem once and for all. Why can't we settle this issue after 50 years?" she said during the debate on the Government Policy Speech by the Yang Di Pertua Negeri during the state Assembly sitting here on Monday. (March 21)

Liew said the Special Committee on Undocumented Foreign Workers and Foreign Nationals (that is headed by Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan) must be empowered to specifically deal with all stakeholders and act without fear or favour in seeking a permanent solution (including repatriation of illegal Indonesian and Filipino immigrants).

"To be inclusive, there must be representation in this Special Committee from the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs, the Consulate-General of the Republic of Indonesia in Kota Kinabalu and other bodies related to other foreign nationals.

"I am of the view that the Opposition must also sit on the Panel on Undocumented Foreign Workers and Foreign Nationals to provide input and take part in the decision-making process.

"Most importantly, there must be political will on the part of all stakeholders to abide by the decision or to execute the recommendations to be made by the Special Committee," she added.