Step closer to solving illegals woe
Published on: Saturday, April 12, 2008
Penampang: Sabah Barisan Nasional's clarion call for a speedy solution to the illegal immigrant problem has made some headway - Home Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar has been given the task.Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Tan Sri Bernard Dompok on Friday said Syed Hamid was instructed by the Prime Minister to focus on this issue in Sabah when the matter was raised the Federal Cabinet meeting on Wednesday.Dompok, who is Upko President, was speaking after chairing its Supreme Council meeting here.
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Upko, he said, wants to continue ensuring the Federal Government gets to brass tacks on such issues as illegals, disparities in development, oil royalty rate for Sabah as well as Borneonisation of the civil service, all of which need urgent attention.On the question of Sabah's representation in the Federal Cabinet he said they agreed that enough had been said."We want to move on," he said, pointing out that Upko's focus now would be on issues which have been on the backburner for a long time. The party had put forward its recommendations to the Prime Minister during his recent visit to Sabah as well as at the Federal Cabinet meeting earlier this week.Firstly, the party is seeking remedies to the age-old illegals problem that has been debated time and again. "I think almost everybody presented to the Prime Minister that this is an issue that now needs urgency in coming up with a solution," he said.
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Dompok said he told his Supreme Council that during the discussion with the Prime Minister he had reiterated Upko's call for the setting up of a Royal Commission of Inquiry to look into the problem of illegals in this country. "Because of its very long history, a lot of statements have been made and a lot of observations made on illegal immigration. The people in Sabah know that the question of illegal immigration in the State goes back to the late 60s and 70s," he said.
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"I think the attention of those involved in illegal immigration at that time was to ensure there is a change in the demography of Sabah's population."But of course today, in the whole of Sabah no matter what race or origin or religion, etcÉthe people are now worried over this perennial problem. We have put it to the Prime Minister loud and clear during his recent visit to Sabah," he said.He said he also reiterated the same at the Cabinet meeting, stressing that urgent action is of paramount importance. Secondly he said they have also brought to the attention of the PM and the Cabinet development issues in Sabah which need to be addressed urgently. "A paper tabled by the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) to the Federal Cabinet showed the poverty rate in Sabah is about 17 per cent, compared to the national average of 2.8 per cent, which is the highest in the whole of Malaysia," he said.All that is needed is a concentration of funding for Sabah to remedy some of these development issues, he said. "I gave an example to the PM and Cabinet about roads in Sabah waiting to be upgraded. There are 5,000km of these gravel roads. "If you work out the cost of RM1million per km, you will be talking about RM5billion. Yet in the whole of the Ninth Malaysia Plan, the amount of money allocated is only RM500million. "So if you work out from this, it will take about 50 years or 10 Malaysia Plans to complete upgrading the 5,000km of gravel roads."According to Dompok such matters of concern in Sabah were discussed at the Federal Cabinet meeting on Wednesday and that over the next few meetings it would be discussing a Cabinet paper dealing with the Mid-Term Review of the 9MP. "But given the inputs, I think Sabah and Sarawak will pose quite a sizeable component of the mid-term review of the 9MP. "I personally feel Malaysia can benefit from more money spent on infrastructure in states like Sabah and Sarawak in order to ensure the aims and objectives of Malaysia Plans bring about a solution to the problem of unequal development between the regions."And I am therefore in support of the cancellations of mega projects that will keep the funds and resources from the poor and undeveloped regions."Upko, Dompok said, had also proposed to the Prime Minister that the Federal Government look seriously into reviewing the oil royalty rates."We proposed that Petronas should look at Sabah with a view to ensure Sabah gets what the other oil producing states are getting. "It was pointed out during the Cabinet meeting that in Terengganu there is a full-fledged petro-chemical plant in Kerteh, while in Kedah, Petronas has a university, in Melaka they have refineries, and of course the Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur. "In Sarawak there is the LNG plant in Bintulu but in Sabah at the moment there is only a landing point in Gayang for gas supply to an independent power plant, itu saja (only that), as well as one balairaya built for the people in Gayang." Petronas plans to spend over RM1billion to bring gas overland from Sabah to Bintulu, which will again make Sabah just a transit point or landing point for gas in Kimanis to Bintulu.Upko suggested a full-fledged petrochemical plant be built in Sabah, instead, using the money set aside by Petronas for the original plan, he said, adding this would augur well with the objectives of the Sabah Development Corridor (SDC). Not only that, it can boost industrial development and employment in Sabah, and can also become an anchor for the SDC, he added.On Borneonisation of the federal civil service, Dompok said after 44 years of independence, there should be Malaysians in Sabah who are capable enough to lead Federal departments. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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