Sabahans Have High Hopes For RCI Report

KOTA KINABALU: Expectations are high that the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) report on migrant problems in Sabah, to be made public today, will be a major step towards resolving the decades-old issue.

The problem has grown from being a socio-economic issue and security threat to displacing the very demographics of multi-ethnic Sabah.

The first influx of refugees fleeing a civil war in southern Philippines arrived in the late 1960s followed by economic migrants from the Philippines, Indonesia, Pakistan and India in the early 1980s.

The long-awaited inquiry report is expected to give recommendations on steps to be taken by the federal and state governments to curb the illegal immigrant problem.

It is also likely to outline the relevant background information on the alleged identity card scam and how the immigrants had become a burden to Sabah, a state where the population increased by nearly 400% over the past four decades.

Many Sabahans and state leaders said they were looking forward to seeing action taken against those involved in what has been dubbed “the mother of all problems” in the state.

Sabah Barisan Nasional has set up a special committee headed by Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) president Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan to look into the findings and coordinate measures suggested by the RCI report.

United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation (Upko) acting president Datuk Wilfred Tangau said the party wanted action to be taken immediately after the RCI findings are announced.

“We don’t want to keep talking about the issue with no action,” he said, adding that the party would wait for the report before commenting further.

Sabah Umno deputy chief Datuk Salleh Tun Said hoped the RCI’s recommendations would include short-term and long-term measures to tackle the problem. - The Star