Filipino embassy mum while citizens faint
Published on: Friday, February 23, 2018
Kota Kinabalu: With more than 3,000 Filipinos wishing to have their documents validated in a current exercise that began Monday, it appears that the 120 applicants per day policy of the embassy team that is due to wrap up their visit today (Friday) will result in only 600 or so being able to do so.Several applicants also fainted on Thursday while waiting for their turn in the stifling heat.Those unable to do so face the risk of being caught by the Malaysian authorities for staying illegally. ADVERTISEMENT Their only other option is to leave Sabah undetected via boat when the time comes by hook or by crook.The embassy has yet to announce whether it would be heeding calls to extend the mobile consular service at the Penampang Cultural Centre by another week.The embassy's silence has angered the community, some of whom came from as far as Labuan, Sandakan, Tawau, Lahat Datu and other West Coast areas in Sabah.Local employers also fear being charged with harbouring illegal immigrants in the event their Filipino employees fail to update their respective travel and work permits on time.ADVERTISEMENT They said the amnesty programmes extended by the Malaysian government previously to Filipinos and Indonesians as a measure to address the state's perennial illegal immigrant problem will be wasted if the embassy staff concerned did not reciprocate."Carrying out consular service for only 5 days with 120 applications entertained every each day is ridiculous...the embassy should not forget the last time they organised such consular services in Kota Kinabalu was several months ago," an employer who wished to be identified only as Chong said.
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The delay in updating the documents of their workers by the embassy has also affected their business operations."Me and my companions came to the centre early only to find out we will not be entertained because of the 120-quota system imposed by embassy staff," said Fatima from Labuan.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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She also alleged there are people carrying bundles of documents being allowed to enter the centre with the help of people manning the main gate.Romeo Alcantara described the embassy as run by irresponsible Filipinos who failed to find a solution to the long overdue manpower shortage faced in every consular mission.