KUALA LUMPUR: Wishes of Sabahans, socio-economic impacts and potential risks must be taken into consideration in the proposal for the special IC, said Senator Datuk Chin Su Phin.
He said he hoped the Federal Government could come up with the best solution to overcome the issue of illegal immigrants in Sabah to ensure the well-being of the people in the State.
Chin, who is also Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) deputy president, made the remarks during the debate on the motion of thanks for the royal address at the Dewan Negara sitting here.
He said illegal immigrants have been a longstanding issue of more than 40 years in Sabah, and the immigrants have caused many socio-economic, political and security problems in the State.
While thanking the government for establishing a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on this issue and subsequently setting up a special committee or working committee to work on the recommendations in the RCI report, Chin asked about the government’s stance on the special IC proposal voiced by many Sabahan leaders.
If the government intends to implement the proposal, there are many factors to be considered such as how, who and when the Special IC should be carried out.
The costs should also be taken into account as well as the methods used to expel the illegal immigrants to avoid affecting the relations between Malaysia and the immigrants’ home countries, he said.
Chin also expressed his concern over the threat from Islamic State (IS) militants.
He noted that many Malaysians have joined the militant group, including children aged 10 to 14, and that Bukit Aman’s counter-terrorism director Datuk Ayub Khan Mydin had said it was only a matter of time before the IS militants launched an attack on our country.
“Ayub has said that IS militants have made direct threat to attack Malaysia including bombing entertainment outlets as part of their plans to punish Malaysia.
“This is very worrying.”
Hence, Chin asked the government as to the measures taken to control the IS situation in Malaysia, considering the militant group was gaining influence worldwide.
He also wanted to know the efficiency of the relevant ministry in filtering the entry of foreigners and Malaysian citizens from troubled countries such as Syria, Iraq, Yemen and others.
“The people want to know if IS has become a major threat to our national security.
The Inspector-General of Police has assured us that this matter (IS) is under control in Malaysia, but I wish to seek more convincing explanation from the ministry.”