Loretto Padua Jr.
KOTA KINABALU: The Secretary General of Parti Warisan Sabah, Loretto Padua Jr. had today slammed the State Assemblyman of Tambunan, Jeffrey Kitingan over his continuos criticism over the State Government’s effort to find permanent solution in relation to the existence of foreign workers in Sabah.
“He is trying hard to make provocative and speculative attacks over the practical effort made the State Government to control the foreign workers in Sabah but strangely, he is doing this whilst with his new found UMNO friends who did nothing on illegal workers and who let the illegal workers roam around unregulated.
“Hence whilst we know he (Jeffrey) is desperately seeking to confuse people by making up nonsensical allegations because he cannot explain why he chose to work with UMNO/ BN, we will indulge Jefrey one last time so he can put to better use his education.
“I reiterate that only a systematic cataloguing through the issuance of the special pass can we finally stop the influx of illegal immigrants in the State and regulate their numbers more so the data on who are working in our industry today,” he said in a statement today.
Loretto also said that Jeffrey’s friends in BN / UMNO never bothered on the issue.
“I put it to him on why he cannot even get a decent answer on what UMNO / BN did since 1994. At least Chief Minister Shafie Apdal is doing something practical after seeing successive Chief Ministers and BN/UMNO maintaining the same stance on non regulating these illegal immigrants.
“The special workpass will enable us track the movement of illegal immigrants in the State, corruption involving illegal immigrants will be reduced substantially and we will be able to collect levies appropriately besides sending / repatriate out those who are not qualified to receive special work passes, as they are here without jobs.
“If there are illegal immigrants caught without the work pass, then off course, we will deport them back to the countries where they belong and which something Jefrey’s friends did not bother to do other then mere once in a while deportation for news purposes only whilst hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants roam Sabah either with Jobs or without jobs,” he stressed.
According to Loretto, he assumes that Jeffrey may not be able to understand the whole issue of regulating illegal immigrant workers as this is not the giving of citizenship but a Work Pass so that the Government will be able to regulate them.
“All these may be too difficult to comprehend for Jeffrey while he has to explain to his supporters why he is with UMNO/BN in his ‘cause’.
“This is what Jeffrey many have opined failed, as a once trusted leader, to explain to his followers and instead, he took the opportunity to manipulate and create anger amongst Sabahans by giving a malicious and wrongful impression over the issue.
“Jeffrey, this is regulating the illegal workers and NOT giving any Citizenship,” he further elaborated.
“We need to strike a balance between the economic development in the State and our sovereignty and security by first of all, cataloguing these immigrants; if we cannot find the balance, then our plantation and construction sectors will collapse.
“But I assume Jeffrey cannot again understand this so perhaps that is the reason why Sabah’s economy performed badly during the administration of PBS in the early 90s of which he (Jeffrey) was part of as the Managing Director of Yayasan Sabah,” he said.
Loretto also said that he finds it funny to see Jeffrey is attacking Warisan on the matter while he hypocritically working hand in hand with UMNO/BN.
“He slammed the State Government on this initiative but at the same time, he is happily sitting together with UMNO/BN leaders who created all this mess in the first place as a Government!
“If the issue on illegal immigrants is close to his heart, then he should not try to be the saviour for UMNO/BN Sabah under the guise of Kingmaker.
“In fact, Jeffrey is playing the same tune (on this issue) as what Umno and PAS is doing on the appointment of Tan Sri Richard Malanjum as the new Chief Justice of Malaysia.
“Whether the appointment is related to MA63 or not, as a Sabahan, I believe Jeffrey should have checked himself in front of a mirror and acted humble by congratulating Tan Sri Richard instead of trying to make himself a Star with his ridiculous arguments.
Who is Jeffrey to steal the limelight away from Tan Sri Richard Malanjum?” he concluded.