PBS hails federal effort to solve immigrant problem

PBS president Maximus Ongkili led the party’s senior leaders in handing over a memorandum to home minister Hamzah Zainudin in Kota Kinabalu, today. Others present included deputy president Yee Moh Chai, vice-president Almudin Kaida; vice-president Joachim Gunsalam, secretary-general Jahid Jahim, Information chief Joniston Bangkuai, assistant secretary-general Julita Majungki, PBS Youth chief Christopher Mandut and PBS Women’s wing chief Malianah Ugau.

KOTA KINABALU: Parti Bersatu Sabah has welcomed the home ministry’s fresh approach to deal with the large number of illegal immigrants in Sabah.

PBS president Maximus Ongkili said he believed that the ministry’s plans would finally overcome Sabah’s long-standing problem with the presence of illegal migrants.

“Finally, our call is heard, and we believe this would resolve this long standing issue. Today, some PBS senior leaders and I met Home Minister Hamzah Zainudin to discuss several issues, including matters concerning illegal immigrants.

“We also handed a memorandum to him to share our recommendations in solving this issue, which has always been our great concern since the party was formed three decades back,” said Ongkili.

Hamzah said earlier that the ministry would carry out massive operations to flush out the illegal immigrants and deport them. He also proposed the standardisation of the documentation of the 136,055 stateless persons in Sabah, proposing only the use of the IMM13 papers to replace the Surat Burung-Burung and Census certificates.

Ongkili, who is also a minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, said PBS fully supports the plan. - FMT