Big rise in foreigners marrying Sabah locals

SABAH RCI The number of Muslim marriages registered between citizens and non-citizens in Sabah has grown from only 399 in 2000 to 2,545 by the end of October 2012.

However, the royal commission of inquiry into illegal immigrants in Sabah was told that cases of local men marrying foreign women outshone the others. 

There were 10,922 cases of foreign women marrying local men, compared with 8,859 foreign men marrying local women.

Conducting officer Azmi Ariffin told RCI chairperson Steve Shim that this could explain the foreign population boom in Sabah.

"What is the reason for the increase of population? It could be because many foreigners marry locals," Azmi told the RCI panel, which is stitting at the Kota Kinabalu court complex.

Sabah Islamic Affairs Department deputy director and chief marriage and divorce registrar Baharuddin Alwi testified that most of the foreign women who married local men were from Indonesia and the Philippines.

However, the nationalities of the foreign men who married local women varied, and they included Bangladeshis, Afghans and Algerians.

Baharuddin also told the panel that girls as young as 13, too, got married and this came with the consent of the Syariah Court.

To a question from watching brief lawyer John Sinkuyan, he said his department does not track the whereabouts of the couples after they married.

"But I would say that most remain in Sabah," Baharuddin added.

Earlier, Sabah Welfare Department officer Muhd Azan Hussin said there were 1,455 stateless children under the care of the state.

"I believe this is the result of marriages between citizens and non-citizens and parents and families who enter Sabah without documents," Azan said.

He said the problem of stateless children roaming the streets was a concern and "will lead to bigger problems if not dealt with now".

Since these children were not documented, Azan added, they would face problems gaining employment and would resort to crime.

[More to follow]