Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan
KOTA KINABALU (Feb 19): Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan has brushed aside claims by certain quarters that the Kad Warga Asing for foreigners in Sabah as proposed by the Federal Government was similar to the previously rejected Pas Sementara Sabah (Sabah temporary pass) that was proposed during Warisan’s governance of the state.
Dr Jeffrey said the newly-formed Sabah special committee on undocumented foreign workers and foreign nationals, of which he is chairman, had not decided on the best method to address the migrants’ issue in the state.
“That is why we are doing this exercise. It’s not fair to say this is the same as the PSS because it might not be and we have not come up with the solution yet,” he said, adding that his focus will be on foreign workers first.
The special committee has been tasked with collecting input from law enforcement agencies, industry players as well as political and community leaders on how best to address the issue of undocumented foreign workers and their dependents in Sabah.
Speaking to reporters after launching a youth environmental programme in Putatan near here on Saturday, Dr Jeffrey said he expected the special committee to complete its preliminary report in three months.
From there the committee will go into finding a solid solution to the problem of illegal immigrants in the state, he said.
Dr Jeffrey was responding to a question about the three months deadline he set for the committee to complete its report.
“Three months is my own target to come up with something that we can use to move on to the solution,” he said, adding that he will be meeting with stakeholders as well as the legal fraternity to find out what are the laws that need to be implemented.
He also expects to have a meeting with those in law enforcement to find out issues they face in enforcing the law and then he will also be meeting with employers to also find out the problem they have and how they and the authorities can work together.
“I will also meet NGOs and community leaders to get their opinions as well as meet political leaders who are vocal about the problem so they will be part of the solution,” he said.
Dr Jeffrey added that he welcomed views from everyone, including community and political leaders, as the problem was everyone’s not the only the Government’s.
“Everyone has their own opinions but, at the end of the day, why don’t we sit down and put them together so we can see which combination is viable and then we come up with the best solution,” he said.
“It is also a problem for the foreigners because we do not want them to be victims of exploitation,” he stressed.
Dr Jeffrey added that there is also a lack of data compilation on the presence of the illegal immigrants in Sabah.
“Currently the data is here and there and whatever little data there is is not shared, that is our problem, we need the data,” he said.