DEPORT ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS IMMEDIATELY NOW THAT SABAH AND PUTRAJAYA ARE ALIGNED, PN TOLD

7 JAN 2021

KOTA KINABALU: A Warisan leader has challenged Perikatan Nasional (PN) to settle the perennial illegal immigrant issue in Sabah by deporting them without any further delay now that there is 'political alignment' between Sabah and Putrajaya.

Warisan Wirawati Deputy Chief, Jo-Anna Sue Henley Rampas said that the Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Home Minister, Datuk Hamzah Zainuddin must now fulfill their promises to Sabahans in view of the said alignment.

"It has been almost a year since PN took over the Federal Government and so far, there has been no substantive action to flush out the hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants in Sabah apart from the normal 'catch and detain' by police," she said in her statement here, today.

"Under the then Pakatan Harapan federal government, it was none other than Muhyiddin who proposed the issuance of Pas Sementara Sabah (PSS) to the Sabah government as a solution to the illegal immigrant problem.

"The Warisan-led government then promoted the PSS proposal but later withdrew it after the Kimanis parliamentary by-election last year," she added.

Due to the proposal, she said Warisan had to face all sorts of allegations that were meant to scare the Kadazandusun Murut (KDM) voters by several GRS leaders.

"Now that these leaders are in power with the said political alignment having been achieved, their previous call to deport all the illegal immigrants has suddenly fizzled out," she stated.

Jo-Anna said that this inaction from PN to deport the illegal immigrants instead of issuing PSS is actually a serious challenge to their own credibility.

"When desperate politicians promise the moon and the stars during campaigning but later fail to deliver, then it will cost them the people's trust and respect.

"PBS leaders such as Datuk Joniston Bangkuai who previously cited some sections in the Immigration Act to substantiate his argument that the illegal immigrants can be deported and Datuk Jahid Jahim who gave a lengthy explanation on the differences between Kad Burung-burung (issued by PBS) and the proposed PSS must now impress upon the Sabahans that they are men of credibility and flush out the PTIs in Sabah," she urged.

She pointed out that in view of the very weak position held by GRS, Sabahans play a powerful role as Kingmaker in the State by demanding the coalition to proceed with the deportation immediately.

"Sabah NGOs, community leaders and individuals who wish to see GRS perform efficiently can pressure the coalition to get their act together because GRS has a very slim majority.

"This is more so since GRS is made up of parties that are suspicious of each other and hence, the only way to make them work efficiently for Sabahans is to openly pressure them.

"And GRS cannot push the blame on WarisanPlus because they are the government of the day. To do that would be irresponsible on their part and they might as well allow WarisanPlus to lead the State."