KOTA KINABALU: Over 200 Indians deserve to be granted Permanent Residence (PR) status here as they have lived in Sabah for over four decades, said Sabah Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) chairman Datuk V Jothi.
He said yesterday that to date, a total of 202 Indians have been identified statewide for consideration.
“Of the figure, we have submitted 82 names to the State Secretary for consideration of Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman, and I am begging for them to speed up processing the applications,” he said.
He said they have been questioned by the Indian community over the delay and slow process.
“Those identified comprise Indian community who have migrated to work in Sabah in 1967,” he told a press conference after presenting a cheque for RM200,000 to five Indian organisations at the Sabah MIC Liaison office, here, yesterday.
He said that the Indians residing in Sabah were brought to work here under the Migration Fund Board Scheme from Malaya.
These people have entered into an agreement with the Migration Fund Board which was enacted on Aug 25, 1966 under gazette No. P.U. 319 pursuant to Sections 55 and 121 of the Sabah Labour Ordinance.
“Among the terms of the said agreement are that those people were eligible to obtain permanent stay status in Sabah and to participate in the land settlement scheme in Sabah after they have worked for two years in Sabah,” he said.
Jothi said he had explained to the applicants that the process may take some time.
“But it does not mean that the state government does not care. I believe they are doing their best to speed up the process,” he said.