KOTA KINABALU, May 21, 2016: The three-prong measures to curb illegal
immigration announced by the Deputy Prime minister cum Home Affairs
Minister during his latest visit to Sabah sadly has again missed out the
critical issue of the "export" of illegals from the Philippines to Sabah,
says Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) president Datuk Seri Panglima Yong
Teck Lee.
He said the Deputy Prime Minister who listed the three-prong strategy as
enforcement, guarding the maritime borders and resolving the dubious
documents issued to unqualified immigrants in Sabah has completely missed
out the fact that the source of the security woes and illegal immigration
into Sabah is in the Philippines.
"If the source of the problems is not fixed, then our preventive actions
are not sustainable," Yong said.
Yong, a former Sabah Chief Minister told that Malaysia should take
advantage of the election of the first ever President of the Philippines
who hail from the Southern Philippines of Mindanao who is known to be
tough on crime, including unrelenting military campaign against the Abu
Sayyaf bandits.
"He is also known to have the confidence of disenfranchised groups
including BangsaMoros such the MNLF and the peasant farmers in other parts
of the Philippines.
"Against this backdrop of a new era in the Philippines, Malaysia should
consider re-setting our relationship with the Philippines with a clear
view to solve once and for all the security and illegal immigration
problems that have burdened Sabah for the last 40 years.
"We should not lose sight of the fact that the security of Sabah in
Malaysia is the single most important promise of the formation of Malaysia
back in 1963," said Yong.
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