KOTA KINABALU: The Home Minister who had revealed the impending import of 1.5 million foreign workers from Bangladesh has now been promoted to Deputy Prime Minister.
Is this the reason why the Sabah government has chosen to be silent on the issue? asked Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) president Datuk Seri Panglima Yong Teck Lee.
Are Sabah Barisan Nasional leaders fearful of offending their bosses at Putrajaya? he further asked.
“If Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan can respond to my query on the proposed opening up of Sabah ports to China investors, why is the government completely silent on the disturbing news of the 1.5 million new foreign workers from Bangladesh?”
Yong said although Pairin’s reply on the Sabah ports issue was neither here nor there and showed that he actually did not know about the federal Minister of Transport having publicly welcome China investors, at least there is a reply.
“But the complete silence of the Sabah government on the issue of a huge number of Bangladeshi workers coming to Sabah is most worrying.
“Is the Federal Government directly interfering in Sabah’s state matter?
“Isn’t immigration into Sabah, including the issuance of work passes, under Sabah government control? We are not speculating. We are seriously concerned.”
“Both the Sabah State and Federal Governments are under Barisan Nasional. So, there should not be any communication problem.”
“We once again call on the Sabah government to firmly reject the impending importation of Bangladeshi workers into Sabah because Sabah can ill afford another influx of foreign workers from another country which will pile on our current social problems caused by foreign workers and illegals.”
“ As a look at the maze of social and crime problems in Malaya caused by the huge number of foreign workers from Nepal, Myammar, Indonesia and Bangladesh,” Yong pointed out.