Kota Kinabalu: Data from the Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) show that Sabah has 543 squatter settlements throughout the State and Labuan with more than 140,000 illegal immigrants living in them and pose a security threat.
These illegal economic migrants comprise more than 90,000 Filipinos, 45,000 Indonesians and 5,000 others, including from South Asia.
Lahad Datu tops the list with 130 such slums, followed by Beluran with 96, Keningau (48), Papar (39), Kota Kinabalu (37), Tuaran (32), Sandakan (30), Penampang (17), Kota Belud (14), Semporna (14), Kudat (13), Kinabatangan (12), Tawau (11), Ranau (10), Sipitang (10), Kunak (7), Tenom (7), Labuan (6), Kota Marudu (6) and Beaufort (4).
This does not include various housing and private lands rented out to illegal immigrants, said Esscom Senior Intelligence Officer ASP Nustad Kirino at an online seminar on “Understanding the security threats to Sabah and Sarawak”, organised by the Sabah and Sarawak Affairs Division of the Prime Minister’s Department.
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