Malaysia seeks faster repatriation of 5,000 undocumented Filipinos

 Foreign minister Mohamad Hasan says more than 1,000 Filipino detainees in Sabah depots are ready for immediate deportation.

Foreign minister Mohamad Hasan said more than 5,000 undocumented Filipinos are being held at four immigration depots in Sabah.

MANILA:

Malaysia and the Philippines today discussed measures to expedite the repatriation of more than 5,000 undocumented Philippine migrants held at four immigration depots in Sabah.

Foreign minister Mohamad Hasan, leading the Malaysian delegation here for bilateral talks, said screening by the Philippine embassy in Kuala Lumpur found over 1,000 Filipinos ready for immediate deportation.

“We discussed how to accelerate repatriation of these undocumented migrants so the Philippine government can take them back via sea routes or other viable means.

“These detention centres can no longer accommodate such a high number of detainees,” he told Bernama following the 9th Malaysia-Philippines Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) at the foreign affairs department here.

He said Malaysia wants the Philippine government to act swiftly to repatriate its citizens while screening continues as the Sabah depots are already packed to the brim.

Mohamad said both nations also discussed educational provisions for the undocumented migrants’ children in Sabah, with Malaysia agreeing to study the needs for their continued education before repatriation.

He stressed that any educational facility must be managed directly by the Philippine government to ensure proper oversight.

“We do not want private, unregulated schools being set up without proper monitoring,” he said.

Touching on the Sabah claim raised by certain quarters in the Philippines, Mohamad said the matter was not discussed directly during the JCM, though he urged the Asean member nation to respect international law and the global recognition of Sabah as a sovereign part of Malaysia.

“Sabah was recognised by the United Nations (UN), through a commission presented by the UN secretary-general, as part of Malaysian territory. Therefore, there should be no issue over claims that Sabah is not part of Malaysia,” he said.

Mohamad had previously said Malaysia would send a diplomatic note to the Philippines after its senator Robin Padilla urged president Ferdinand Marcos Jr to revive the country’s claim over Sabah.

Earlier, Mohamad co-chaired the JCM with Philippines foreign affairs secretary Ma Theresa Lazaro. - FMT