KOTA KINABALU: The Influx of foreign migrants into Sabah is an escalating crisis that requires urgent and coordinated action, says Datuk Masiung Banah.
The Kuamut assemblyman urged the state and Home Ministry to heed the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) report on foreign migrants in Sabah and jointly form a permanent secretariat to fix the issue.
"The RCI report in 2012 revealed that of Sabah’s 3.9 million population, 1.9 million are foreign nationals, divided into four categories - illegal immigrants (PATI), war refugees holding IMM13 and Burung-Burung cards, stateless individuals, and those with invalid documentation or 'Project IC' holders," he said in a statement on Thursday (Oct 17).
He said such a permanent secretariat was needed to coordinate efforts between state and federal government agencies and effectively implement RCI’s recommendations to tighten Sabah’s porous borders.
Banah warned that the real number of foreign migrants in the state could have exceeded two million, as many remain unregistered across Sabah's vast and often inaccessible areas.
He drew a comparison with neighbouring Sarawak, which has a population of 2.82 million, of whom only 159,000 are foreign nationals.
Banah pointed to the need to cut off 48 illegal routes used by migrants from the Philippines and 17 along the Sabah-Kalimantan border as among key areas that required immediate action.
“These illegal routes, identified over the last 40 years, remain ungazetted by the government, allowing foreign migrants to easily breach Sabah’s borders,” he said.
He also highlighted that over 200 small islands, including 52 on the state’s eastern coast, are uninhabited and often serve as transit points for foreign migrants before they make their way to the mainland.
"Sabah’s 1,700km coastline makes it vulnerable to breaches, particularly from the Philippines. These islands and the coastline are a significant factor in the migrant crisis," he added.
Banah also highlighted allegations that foreign migrants pay smugglers to bypass security checkpoints once they enter Sabah.
“I am not saying our enforcement units are negligent, but reports suggest that migrants who successfully enter Sabah are paying for safe passage,” he said.
Banah said these claims must be closely investigated, stressing that they could be aiding continued breaches of Sabah’s borders.
He expressed frustration that despite the migrant crisis being a key talking point in election campaigns, there is no real action to tackle it.
"We have been talking about this for decades, but meaningful action is yet to be seen. The government must act decisively if we are to resolve Sabah's migrant problem once and for all," he said.
"If we do not take action now, the migrant issue will continue to spiral out of control, placing further strain on Sabah's resources and its people," he warned.
