Activist urged Government to uphold its Immigration Autonomy

26 April 2026

TUARAN: The Sabah government, led by GRS, is called upon to defend its existing Immigration Autonomy in light of the proposed amendment to Act 830, which would see the takeover of border control authority in Sabah by the Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS).

In making this call, social activist Jaesman Gipin expressed concern that the takeover of border entry functions in Sabah by the federal agency AKPS poses a risk of undermining the rights and jeopardizing the autonomous powers of the Sabah State Immigration.

He noted that this would also affect the authority of the Sabah State Government as protected by Paragraph 16 of the Inter-Governmental Committee (IGC) Report under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), Article 161E(4) of the Federal Constitution, and Sections 64 and 65, Part VII of the Immigration Act 1959/63.

“This issue is not trivial. It concerns state sovereignty. Therefore, the Sabah State Government must firmly defend the existing border control and reject any attempts to place it under AKPS,” he said in a statement.

Jaesman, a former immigration officer, emphasized that Sabah’s immigration autonomy is a mandate from 1963 and not a privilege; rather, this right is guaranteed by law.

He stated that the Sabah government must not forget the legal foundations that protect the state’s immigration powers, including three key documents that all citizens must understand:

Jaesman mentioned that this includes Paragraph 16 of the Inter-Governmental Committee (IGC) Report 1962.

He pointed out that the IGC clearly recorded the agreement that “Immigration control in Sabah and Sarawak shall remain under state authority.”

“The purpose is to protect Sabah from mass influxes from Peninsular Malaysia that could alter the demographic composition and economic burden of the state.

“This was a written promise before Malaysia was formed. This is the primary reason Sabah agreed to join the Federation. Handing over control to AKPS is akin to betraying the spirit of the IGC,” he said.

Source : Jesselton Times