Committee should include opposition and NGOs: Lajim
Published on: Sunday, January 04, 2015
KOTA KINABALU: The panel members of the Working Committee on Foreign Migrants in Sabah should not be monopolised by government departments and agencies if it aims to come up with effective and viable solutions to resolve the perennial problems of illegal immigrants in the State.Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Sabah Chairman Datuk Lajim Ukin said the Working Committee headed by Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan should consider including the Opposition and relevant non-government organisation (NGOs) leaders so as to get better inputs."We strongly believe that the Working Committee should act similarly like an independent body and involve various quarters including Opposition leaders to sit in the Committee.
ADVERTISEMENT
"This is because we also have our own views and solutions as well as experts on the issue that would be useful for the Committee."By doing so, all members could have effective and open mind discussion, and able to get feedback from those people and leaders who have inputs and resolutions to overcome the longstanding issue," he said, Friday.He was commenting on whether the Opposition parties in Sabah should be invited to be in the Working Committee.Nonetheless, Lajim said PKR Sabah is ever ready and willing to be part of the Working Committee as the issue of huge presence of illegal immigrants in Sabah is not an issue that concerns Sabah but a national issue that affects all.
ADVERTISEMENT
At the same time, he said they could also see how the Terms of Reference (ToRs) for the Working Committee could be effective in addressing the findings of Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on illegal immigrants' problems in Sabah.Hence, he said it is imperative for Pairin to truly consider inviting the Opposition and NGOs leaders to sit in the Working Committee as a way of getting all eligible leaders from the government authorities and oppositions for better transparency and positive results.
ADVERTISEMENT
To a question, Lajim said the party likely to send its member Dr Chong Eng Leong to sit among the panel in the Working Committee if Pairin decides to invite only one representative from the Opposition.He said Dr Chong Eng Leong is the most suitable candidate to be in the Committee as he has long been doing thorough research on the issue and had even published a book on the decades-long problem.However, he said if Pairin requires three representatives from the Opposition, then a meeting would be held among the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) to discuss suitable candidates to be considered for the Committee.On Dec 16, last year, Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi revealed that the Terms of Reference (ToR) as guidelines for Working Committee and Permanent Committee that have been approved to be set up following the reveal of the RCI report on illegal immigrants problem in Sabah. He revealed the ToRs for Working Committee as below:-The committee will scrutinise and study the RCI's findings and its issues for the purpose of future improvement.Study public feedback and complaints as well as opinions from forums and consultations on the management of foreigners in Sabah,Study implementation on the management of foreigners in Sabah,Submitting recommendations on the position of foreigners based on existing laws and regulations,Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
Daily Express Malaysia
