THERE were 272,157 registered foreign workers in Sabah
There were also a large number of foreigners from these two countries found entering Sabah illegally to seek employment, and sent home, said Bongawan assemblyman Datuk Karim Bujang yesterday when debating on the Head of State’s speech during the State Assembly sitting.
As of December last year, 13,175 illegal immigrants had been deported to their countries of origin, with the Philippines accounting the largest number of deportees at 8,625 individuals, he said.
However, 4,190 other immigrants convicted of illegal entry are still detained at Temporary Detention Centres in Sabah. They comprise 3,684 Filipinos, 450 Indonesians and 56 other nationals.
Karim gave the figures to support his argument against the claims by the opposition that the government gives priority to foreign workers in the plantation sector.
He said strict conditions are imposed on employers in hiring foreign workers, including having them give priority to locals in filling vacancies at their plantations.
“Foreign workers are the last resort, only when the employers cannot find workers among the locals,” he said.
Karim said the State Government is also strict on regulation in allowing foreign workers to work for only five years in oil palm plantation.
Under the regulation, workers whose five-year period has ended can only be extended for another five years should they be required by the employers, but the workers have to be sent home after the maximum 10 years in Sabah.
Meanwhile, on a separate matter, Karim has urged the State Government to support the call from the Malay Business Chamber of Malaysia (DPMM) Sabah to have a special lab set up for assisting the development of Bumiputera entrepreneurs in the State.
According to him, the participation of Bumiputera entrepreneurs in the business sector in Sabah was still very low, at only about five percent, as compared to their Malay counterparts in the Peninsular Malaysia who own 30 percent of the equities in the country.
He also suggested that Bumiputera be given priority in awarding large scale projects in Sabah.
He also called on Petronas to find a way to encourage better participation from the Bumiputera in the oil and gas industry, saying the number of Bumiputera entrepreneurs involved in the industry was still very low.