KOTA KINABALU: The Federal Government should set a specific timeline to implement key recommendations of the 2014 Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on illegal immigrants in Sabah, says Tuaran MP Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau.
He said it had been over a decade since the report was made public and the government must show a clear political commitment and set timelines to implement the RCI recommendations on Sabah's festering migrant problems.
Madius, who is also Upko's Tamparuli assemblyman, said the lack of progress over the past decade, with only 13 meetings held since the establishment of the Sabah State Foreigners Management Committee in 2014, reflects a failure to take the issue seriously.
"After more than 10 years, only 13 meetings have been convened. That's not even an average of once a year.
"This clearly shows a lack of seriousness in addressing an issue that is critical to the people of Sabah," he said in a statement on Thursday (March 5).
He said the Home Ministry had stated that the meetings were largely centred on administrative matters such as the implementation of the Integrated Management System for Foreign Workers and Non-Residents in Sabah and temporary enforcement moratoriums, rather than the comprehensive execution of RCI recommendations.
Madius said that the issue of illegal immigrants in Sabah is not merely about data management but also touches on sovereignty, security, and the constitutional rights of Sabahans.
"The RCI was established to unravel major issues that have plagued this state for decades. If its recommendations are not implemented earnestly, the exercise becomes meaningless," he said.
