HASUTAN PERKAUMAN BERIKUTAN ISU PENGGANAS SULU DI LAHAD DATU, SABAH?

Hasutan perkauman berikutan Isu Pencerobohan di Lahad Datu, Sabah - Sulu Asree Sug!

ASREE SUG

MORE THEN 80,000 REFUGEES IN SABAH TO BE REGISTERED

More than 80,000 in Sabah to be registered

KOTA KINABALU Nov 8, 2011: More than 80,000 Filipino and Indonesian-Chinese refugees in Sabah from the 1960s are to be recorded under the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees’ (UNHCR) latest registration programme.

State Immigration director Mohammad Mentek said refugees from both countries were issued the IMM13 document when they fled to Malaysia following unrest in their home countries.

81,000 DOKUMEN IMM13 DIKELUARKAN KEPADA PATI DI SABAH DAN LABUAN - NAZRI

Dewan Rakyat: 81,000 Dokumen IMM13 Dikeluarkan Kepada Pati Di Sabah Dan Labuan

KUALA LUMPUR, 5 Okt (Bernama) -- Jabatan Imigresen Malaysia telah mengeluarkan sebanyak 81,000 dokumen IMM13 sehingga 2009 kepada pendatang asing tanpa izin (PATI) bagi membolehkan mereka bergerak bebas tanpa menggunakan pas perjalanan di Sabah dan Labuan.

Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz berkata dokumen itu hanya diberikan kepada dua kumpulan di Sabah iaitu pelarian Cina-Indonesia dan pelarian perang selatan Filipina.

IMM13 HOLDER FACES TRIAL OVER WEAPONS

IMM13 holder faces trial over weapons

April 5, 2011, KOTA KINABALU: A Filipino man will be tried in the Magistrate’s Court here on April 27 this year for injuring another man using dangerous weapons three months ago.

Magistrate Norhamizah Shaiffuddin reserved the hearing date for Mohd Sahali, 28, who is charged under Section 324 of the Penal Code, when the case came up for mention yesterday.

The indictment carries a maximum three years’ jail or with a fine or with whipping or any of such two punishments upon conviction.

The accused who was unrepresented, allegedly injured a 40-year-old man at a company in Lok Kawi at 6pm on Jan 2.

Mohd who committed the alleged offence with another accomplice who is still at large, was armed with two machetes.

Prosecuting officer Chief Inspector Lim Swee Beng told the court that the prosecution would be calling four witnesses to testify against Mohd.

Mohd, an IMM13 holder, had claimed trial to the charge during his first arraignment on Jan 10.

FEARS THAT FILIPINOS IN SABAH, EVER GROWING IN THEIR NUMBERS, WILL SOON DEMAND A REFERENDUM ON THE STATE’S PARTICIPATION IN THE FEDERATION OF MALAYSIA?

Why fear a referendum in Sabah?

Joe Fernandez

January 1, 2011

The United PasokMomogun KadazanDusunMurut Organisation (Upko), a member of Barisan Nasional (BN), ostensibly fears that Filipinos in Sabah, ever growing in their numbers, will soon demand a referendum on the state’s participation in the Federation of Malaysia.

The fear apparently stems from the longstanding Philippine claim to Sabah.

These Filipinos, illegal immigrants who obtained MyKads through the backdoor, have either overtaken local numbers or are on the verge of doing so, according to Upko deputy president Wilfred Mojilip Bumburing.

Bumburing wants the National Registration Department (NRD) in Putrajaya and the federal government to undo, as promised, their MyKad mischief in Sabah before the next general election.

He must be living in a dream world of his own making. There must be something in the water in Tuaran, Bumburing’s parliamentary seat, which gives one a permanent high.

He has himself said that these Filipinos in Sabah are already on the electoral rolls as Malays and are the “real BN fixed deposit” that Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak has been bragging about.

Hence, his call to confiscate the MyKads from them is a sort of contradiction in terms.

In any case, Bumburing and his party should not fear any referendum on Malaysia conducted in Sabah. It will be a historical opportunity to bring closure on many issues bedevilling relations across the South China Sea. Let the weapon (MyKad) kill its wielder (Putrajaya), to paraphrase a Malay saying.

Sabah claim

Any referendum will be undertaken by the United Nations based on Security Council Resolutions. The General Assembly may also debate on it.

A UN-held referendum will disallow the Filipinos from participating in it since they are not legitimate citizens of Sabah. If anything, the run-up to the UN referendum will expose the complicity of the NRD in Putrajaya and the federal government in scams to effectively disenfranchise the people of Sabah. This would merit some sort of UN action against Malaysia under the various international conventions against racism, genocide, xenophobia, ethnic-cleansing,marginalisation and the like.

A UN referendum must not be completely about the Sabah claim but must also take into account the fact that the Federation of Malaysia may have ceased to exist in 1965 with the departure of Singapore. This underlines the fact that the federal government has been in non-compliance on the 1963 Malaysia Agreement.

The federation, discounting Singapore, was made of three territories – Sabah, Sarawak, and Malaya— based on equality and partnership. This is no longer so because Singapore’s exit saw the resurrection of the Malaya Federation of 1957 and the admission of Sabah and Sarawak as its 12th and 13th states. In short, the Borneo states became independent of Malaysia at the time of Singapore’s exit but were retained illegally in the Malaysia Federation, now masquerading as Malaysia. The definition of “federation” in the Federal Constitution is the 1957 definition and not that of 1963.

The Sabah claim complicates the referendum process.

Not many know that the claim excludes the interior of the state. The claimed area covers eastern Sabah, which was part of the Sulu sultanate, now part of the Philippines. It also covers the northern third of the state, which a victorious sultan in Brunei handed over to Sulu in return for the latter’s help in settling a palace dispute in the former’s favour. Sulu claims that eastern and northern Sabah were leased to the British North Borneo Company and sovereignty has since been transferred to the Philippine republic.

Sabahans will not accept a two-part referendum, that is, the interior to decide whether it wants to be independent or part of Malaysia, and the Sabah claim areas to decide between Malaysia, the Philippines and independence.

Keeping Sabah united would mean allowing the people of the state to decide whether they want independence or to be in either Malaysia or the Philippines.

Best option

Independence would of course be the best option for Sabah – as well as Sarawak. Both states can then finally enter into the federation envisaged with Brunei before Malaysia. The Federation of Malaysia was the result of Sabah’s rejection of the North Borneo Federation on the grounds that Sarawak was too poor and lacked economic potential.

The next best option for Sabah would be to become an autonomous part of the Philippines, which has the kind of human capital that can help the state enter the 21st century. The Philippine common market is also nearer to Sabah and bigger than Malaysia’s. The republic, furthermore, is also a rapidly developing country with enormous potential.

There is much in common between the native majority in Sabah and the majority of the people in the Philippines. The Malaysia Agreement proviso that Sabah would have no official religion would be honoured in a Sabah that is part of the Philippines.

In terms of security, Manila can be expected to return the illegal immigrants in Sabah back to the southern part of the Philippines if their labour is not needed. Those who stay back in Sabah will not be entitled to local documents. If they have such documents, they will have to surrender them to the local authorities.

Sabah as part of the Philippines may be an unthinkable idea now, but it is not at all impossible.

There is too much hype about Sabah being part of Malaysia. It is all propaganda. It is unthinkable that a native Christian from Sabah would ever become prime minister of Malaysia. But a Sabahan can become president of the Philippines if the state is part of that republic.

Malaysia has clearly failed in Sabah and Sarawak after 47 years. Both states have been reduced to abject poverty, poorer than any in the country. It is high time to put the past behind and move forward.

Again, independence would be the best option for Sabah, as for Sarawak. We only have to look at Singapore and Brunei. The former left Malaysia after two years and the latter stayed out at the 11th hour.

Look where they are now. Singapore’s economy, at US$210 billion GDP, will be bigger than Malaysia’s US$205 billion GDP this year.

Sabah and Sarawak would be able to do what Singapore and Brunei have been able to do on their own outside Malaysia.

If a choice must be made between Malaysia and the Philippines for practical reasons, the former is certainly no option for Sabah, with its poor record in the two Borneo states despite the passage of nearly half a century.

There is definitely a case here for the UN Security Council to step in.

FOREIGN CHILDREN BEING USED TO SMUGGLE CIGARETTES INTO SABAH

Making use of minors

Kota Kinabalu November 13, 2010: Minors are being used to smuggle cigarettes into the State.

Their involvement came to light when marine police nabbed three Filipinos, including a 12-year-old boy, and seized 3,700 packets of cigarettes in an operation at Kuala Putatan 2, Friday.

Also confiscated were a Proton Saga car and a speedboat.

The confiscated items were worth about RM60,000.

City Marine Commanding Officer Assistant Superintendent Mohd Aris Jambul said police believe the contraband was brought in from Mangsi in the Philippines by someone else and made a stop at a nearby island before another skipper took over.

"We believe they are using children in order to avoid detection. They (the trio) were paid RM15 per boat," he added.

The operation followed Tuesday's arrest of two Filipinos and the seizure of smuggled cigarettes in the State capital.

During a five-hour surveillance, he said marine personnel saw a boat with its skipper, a 14-old-boy and the Saga at about 1am on the beach in the area.

"The car was driven by a 21-year-old man together with the 12-year-old boy. They were loading boxes from the boat to the car and marine police immediately approached and introduced themselves.

"All three IMM13 holders were paid to bring and load the smuggled items," Aris said, adding the trio had tried to flee upon seeing police.

He said police seized 3,200 packets of LA cigarettes and 500 packets of Premium Gold cigarettes from them and towed the vehicle and speedboat to the City Marine Headquarters.

On Tuesday, the force detained two Filipinos in their 50s and seized 1,940 packets of smuggled cigarettes worth RM24,118 in what used to be an old hotel at Sinsuran.

The cigarettes were also brought in from Mangsi to be distributed to street peddlers and several individuals here.

Thus far, police have recorded 10 such cases involving smuggled cigarettes and alcohol worth RM474,760 in the State capital.

------

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“THE WISH OF PEOPLE IS ONLY TO SEE THE PROBLEM (ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS) RESOLVED. PERIOD!,” - TANGAU

Sabah under fire for pussyfooting around immigrant problem

PENAMPANG: The United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation (Upko), a  Barisan Nasional coalition partner, has criticised the government for pussyfooting around the immigrant problem in Sabah.

Upko secretary-general Wilfred Madius Tangau said that Sabah has certain powers on matters pertaining to immigration and citizenship and should use them to deal with the problem.

He said that the state's powers are clearly demonstrated by the fact that Peninsular Malaysians and Sarawakians are required to apply for Permanent Residence (PR) in Sabah.

The state also requires all non-Sabahan Malaysians to apply for work permits to be legally employed in the state.

Malaysians entering the state are also given permit to stay in the state for a limited time. The same rules apply in Sarawak and are strictly enforced in the neighbouring state.

Tangau, the former MP for Tuaran who is closely aligned with party chief and Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Bernard Dompok, applauded Silam BN secretary Kassim Sulaiman for highlighting the problem posed by a large number of illegal immigrants in Sabah recently.

He said Kassim's statement over the weekend revealed that illegal immigrants is one issue that Malaysians in Sabah irrespective of their political inclinations would like resolved.

While acknowledging that immigration is a national matter in the same way that the Philippines claim over Sabah has to be dealt with by the federal government, he stressed that the state government must be firm in resolving the immigrants issue in Sabah.

“Surely the Sabah State Security Council is on top of the future IMM13 document holders. Does the Sabah State Security Council wish to renew the IMM13 documents of the 57,000 or 84,000 holders every year?

(IMM13 documents were given to Filipino refugees fleeing the troubles in the southern Philippines in the 1970s and 80s).

He added that it was time to fix the problem.

“Finger pointing is over... no one should politicise nor try to gain political mileage over the problem.

“The wish of people is only to see the problem resolved. Period!,” he said.

Tangau noted that Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Idris Jala had informed Upko leaders during his Government Transformation Programme briefing here that there are 22 action plans as recommended by the special laboratory on illegal immigrant.

Jala had said the action plans were aimed at resolving the presence of illegal immigrant in Sabah but would only brief Upko leaders on the matter at a later date.

“Upko will definitely accept the offer by  Idris Jala to brief us on the above mentioned line of action and by that time Upko wants to hear results,” he said.

“Just like the government’s aggressive action on the six NKRA (national key result areas), Upko would like to see the Federal and State government get cracking and implement the so-called 22 Plans of Action," he said.

----

PBS steps back from the brink over immigrants

'LET SABAH DEAL WITH THE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS'

'Let Sabah deal with the illegal immigrants'

LAHAD DATU: A senior Barisan Nasional member here has called on the federal government to stop dragging its feet on the illegal immigrant issue in Sabah. "There is no more need for studies or laboratories. It is time for action. If the federal government can’t do it, then give us the authority, financial resources and all the logistical help and we will do the job," Silam BN secretary, Kassim Sulaiman, said yesterday.

He said the illegal immigrant issue is a federal matter and the federal government should understand the legitimate fear that Sabahans harbour about being outnumbered by foreigners.

"Today, this issue has changed the demographic, economic and political landscape of Sabah and if left unchecked, is detrimental to Sabah's interest."

Kassim, who is also a Lahad Datu district councillor, said it was regrettable that the federal government was not acting simply because the issue was not deemed important (as stated by Minister in the Prime Minister Department Idris Jala in Kota Kinabalu recently).

"The federal government can't say that the problem of illegal immigrants is of no national importance and thus cannot be included in the NKRA (National Key Result Areas).

"The federal leaders know that Sabah has contributed so much to the country economically and politically, and so they should give priority to our main concern – the presence of illegals in the state.

"The attitude shown by the federal government is disappointing because Sabah, as a component of the nation, should be accorded better treatment."

Constitutional arrangement

Kassim said the fall of Sabah from one of the richest states in Malaysia to one of the poorest was alarming.

He added that he was made to understand that nothing concrete has come out from the laboratory studies on the (illegal immigrant) issue though recommendations had been made to federal government.

"Sabah is important to BN and as the second largest Umno state, it could play a pivotal role (in the country's politics). Therefore, Sabah's concerns are important," he said.

The federal government has no option but to include the illegal immigrant issue in the NKA, he said.

"Alternatively, through constitutional arrangement, equip Sabah with the power and adequate resources to deal with the matter.”

"WAS THERE IMM13 FROM SABAH ACTUALLY GIVEN PR BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WITHOUT SEEKING APPROVAL OR CONSENT FROM THE STATE GOVERNMENT? OR DID THE STATE GOVERNMENT CONSENTED TO IT? - MADIUS

Upko surprised IMM13 holders now at 84,000

Penampang: United Pasok Momogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation (Upko) is surprised over the Chief Minister's revelation that there are 84,000 IMM13 document holders in Sabah.

Its Secretary General Datuk Wilfred Madius Tangau, who has consistently pursued the matter for eight years in Parliament, said: "As of 2007, the answer given by the Prime Minister's Department when we (I and other Members of Parliament) asked was that, there are only 57,000 IMM13 documents holders.

"The document is renewable on a yearly basis and children are included in the IMM13 document of parents."

He said Upko was equally surprised when the Chief Minister said that they did not detect any abuse in the issuance of IMM13 document, when several years ago there was even a woman who was caught issuing and selling fake IMM13 documents.

"I stand corrected but for what I know, the IMM13 document is just a piece of yellowish paper which can be printed easily! That is why we Members of Parliament from Sabah have repeatedly suggested in Parliament asking the Government to change the document to something like a MyKad with security features to avoid being faked by unscrupulous people".

"If the Government has not changed the document form a piece of paper to a card with security features then, I am sure the Prime Minister's Department will listen to proposal by the Sabah State Security Council," he said. Tangau said the Chief Minister should also reveal the number of IMM13 holders that been given Permanent Resident status.

"Remember, at one time in Parliament, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Datuk Nazri Aziz, told the House a certain number of IMM13 holders in Sabah being given PR," he said.

"And when asked whether or not he has consulted the Sabah State Government as required by the law he said there is no need," he added.

Nazri's statement created a brouha in Sabah and he was supposed to explain the matters to the Elected Representatives. "What had happen to that?" he asked.

"Was there IMM13 from Sabah actually given PR by the Federal Government without seeking approval or consent from the State Government? Or did the State Government consented to it?

How many were issued?

"Upko is intrested to have the answers to those questions as it deals with basic rule of law," he said.

The next issue, Tangau said was the future of the so-called refugee settlements in Sabah, which are presumed to be the settlements of the IMM13 documents holders.

Finally, he said the Sabah State Security Council should monitor how many of the IMM13 holders are gainfully employed.

"Are the children studying and enrolled in government schools?

How many are not gainfully employed and what are they doing for a living. For how long are they going to be in Sabah?

How does the Sabah State Security Council plan to eventually resolve this issue? " he asked.