SILOU BAH INI... MAI TOKOU NOH... KINABALU...: ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ARE NOW THE NEW KINGS AND QUEENS OF THE STREETS OF KOTA KINABALU, THEY RULE SUPREME AND THEIR TERRITORIES CONTINUE TO EXPAND FROM THE CAPITAL CITY ALL THE WAY TO THE SMALLER TOWNS ACROSS THE STATE.

KOTA KINABALU : Peddlers of contraband cigarettes are now the new kings and queens of the streets of Kota Kinabalu.

Illegal immigrants from a neighbouring country, they rule supreme and their territories continue to expand from the Capital City all the way to the smaller towns across the state.

They inhabit the roadsides, control the five-foot pathways of every block of shops and gather in the back alleys, waving and selling their products.

Their customer base is wide and varied and include both fellow immigrants and locals alike.

Their specialty is simply that they have all sorts and brands of smuggled cigarettes sold at prices way below the market price. Sometimes they even offer pirated DVD copies of the latest cinema box office hits.

They do it openly in broad day light at public places where uniformed and undercover enforcement officers are just a few feet away.

Yet, they continue to thrive and seem to always somehow slip from the watchful eyes of the authorities.

Just visit the short stretch of the busy road in front of the tamu site in Inanam, about 12 kilometres from the state capital and one can easily spot up to 20 peddlers waiting for customers on either side of the road at anytime of the day.

The same faces can be seen day in and day out and their number seems to grow steadily every week, probably due to good business, as the street is packed with potential customers.

Many of these peddlers are children, some as young as seven or even six years old who come running to hand over packs of cigarettes to any driver who only needs to stop briefly in order to get a supply of the cheap contraband.

With the exact amount of small change ready, whistle to any of the children carrying a bag or a box full of cigarettes and the deal is done in just a few second.

The older peddlers, who are not as agile, choose not to compete directly with the younger and quicker street sellers.

[kra6.JPG] Instead they settle in the corners outside of the shops, sitting on small plastic chairs with an assortment of smuggled cigarettes stacked on a paper tray in front of them.

Costing only RM2 and RM2.50 each, the packs of 20 cigarettes of Era and Premium are the most popular.

Another brand Astro, is cheaper at RM1.50 per pack but not as popular apparently due to its ‘inferior’ tobacco.

Although less mobile, these older peddlers, who are mostly women, can earn as much if not more than the youngsters.

They secure strategic locations and hold on to them, shooing off any competitors who get too close.

They are smart and vigilant, always keeping one eye on the customers and the other on the enforcement officers who may come their way.

At any sign of trouble,they will be the first to detect it and hence the first to get out of the way and disappear.

In Inanam, and other towns such as Menggatal, Telipok and Tuaran, enforcement agencies including the Police and the Custom Department work hard to get rid of these contraband dealers. Mounting operations against them has almost become a daily routine.

It is no longer a surprise to see the streets full of illegal cigarette vendors the moment the authority leave.

The Police and Customs can conduct surprise checks five times a day and these peddlers will always returnt the moment the operation is over.

A few of them may get arrested while trying to outrun the pursuing officers but the rest of them will always come back and resume business as usual.

It’s the same story everywhere, repeated over and over again as the peddlers outclass and outwit the lawmen.

In the City Centre, everywhere is a reminder of this real-life story. At the sidewalks in Kampung Air, Segama and Sinsuran, alongside the Central Market and at the Wawasan Plaza Bus Terminal.