“What they don’t tell us is that the number of IMM13, census certificates and Kad Burung-Burung may be as high as 400,000 to 700,000,” he said. “If the PSS is to resolve the problem of the three categories of ‘inland foreigners’, what about the illegal im

KOTA KINABALU: STARSABAH feels strongly that the proposed issuance of the PSS (Pas Sementara Sabah) by the Ministry of Home Affairs has triggered alarm bells among the people of Sabah.

The STARSABAH president, Datuk Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan, said here that instead of offering a sense of relief or giving answers, the proposal has raised more questions.

“How will the exercise actually solve the decades old problem of PTIs (illegal immigrants) in Sabah?” asked the member of parliament for Keningau. “Firstly, what is the legal and constitutional status of the PSS and the would-be holders of such a document?” Dr. Jeffrey, who is also the assemblyman for Tambunan, also questioned the real intention of the exercise.

“What they don’t tell us is that the number of IMM13, census certificates and Kad Burung-Burung may be as high as 400,000 to 700,000,” he said. “If the PSS is to resolve the problem of the three categories of ‘inland foreigners’, what about the illegal immigrants (PTIs)? And in what way will this resolve their foreign presence here?

“If the PSS is temporary why is it renewable every three years? Why not every year? Malaysians outside Sabah are subject to three months passes, so why are these foreigners treated more favourably? How many times can this PSS be renewed? Is it meant to be renewed indefinitely?

“Let it be made clear that addressing the problem of these ‘inland foreigners’ does not address the longstanding PTI problems. Rather it will only encourage more illegals to come in order take advantage of these passes through the three documented channels.

“It has also not been clarified what mechanism will the government have to prevent abuses of the issuance of this PSS. If the PSS is only to replace the documents of the 600,000 inland foreigners without moving them out first and then processing them in in accordance with established immigration laws, the whole exercise will only perpetuate the problem instead of solving it.

“Also, the most important question is what will be the final solution to all these?” Dr. Jeffrey asked. “What strategic plan does the government have in hand so that one day soon the whole PTI and inland foreigner problems are solved once and for all? What about their welfare? What about the security threats posed by them especially when the Philippines government is still claiming Sabah as its territory?

“The government needs to show its sincerity in wanting to solve the problem once and for all by coming out with a clear workable solution to be implemented with a non-nonsense political will by enforcing the laws, to protect our sovereignty.

“Or is the government only playing with time, terminologies, and vague technical steps just to prolong the problem and eventually drown the indigenous peoples of Sabah under the majority power of the new immigrants? As of now the people of Sabah smell a rat in the whole scheme that seems to smack of being part of a grand design,” he said.