RCI Sabah: where do we go from here?

Excerpts of my talk at the forum on the RCI at Kg. Paka, Ranau. The forum was organised by Topinai Research Centre led by YB Foong Chin Chan of the Democratic Action Party (DAP). 

Introduction 

Enough has been said about why the RCI was formed and it is time for the authorities and Sabahans to work together to end the perennial illegal immigrants problem. Despite the negative perception that some people have on the RCI, it has paved the way for us to address the illegal immigrant problem more systematically, thanks to the willingness, hardwork and dedication of the commissioners.

Our focus in the next couple of years should be on the solutions contained in the RCI report. They may not be sufficient to solve the illegal immigrant problem in totality. That is why every individual Sabahan has a role to play to suggest ways on how this problem can be addressed more effectively. 

What good has the RCI brought to us?

It gives us a glimpse of the scale and depth of the illegal immigrant problem and the weaknesses in our immigration policy as a whole.

It reinforces our belief that the illegal immigrant problem is real and needs urgent solution.

It also gives as hope that there are solutions to the problem. We should not be too worried about the practicality of the solutions as this can be discussed later. We should give time to the Permanent and Working Committees proposed by the RCI to assess the solutions and to come up with an action plan. 

The Way Forward

First, we need to understand what the real problem is. Is the problem related to illegal immigration? Is our concern related to the growing number of “foreigners” in Sabah? The concern of the public is that there are too many illegal immigrants in Sabah. We are not sure how many but we know they can pose a serious threat if nothing is done. By illegal immigrants we mean those who have entered Sabah illegally — those without any proper documents. 

Next, we want to know why there are so many of them in Sabah? Is this due to lack of border security? Are they being aided by their family members? Is there a syndicate to bring them here? We have been told by the RCI that the main pull factor that has motivated illegal immigrants to come to Sabah is job security and also due to the porousness of our border and the lack of border control.

Moving on, there are allegations that illegal immigrants have obtained Malaysian ICs through the illegal channels. This is a very complex problem. What if the document is legal but the way it was acquired is not? Maybe it is easy for the authorities to detect and apprehend those with fake and illegal documents but this is another different problem altogether. The other problem is that some illegal immigrants are said to have been registered in the electoral rolls. If this is the case then efforts must be put in place to detect these problematic voters. 

So we have many problems that require specific solutions. 

In our effort to solve the problem, we must not politicise it. The two sides of the political divide must work together to come up with solutions. We must look at the issue objectively and professionally. There is a danger in trying to “racialise” the issue. Of late, I have seen people trying to pit immigrants against the locals using derogatory terms. Understandably, they are resorting to this way to raise people’s sentiment. We must understand that there are “good” and “bad” immigrants. The good ones are those who possess proper documents, those who abide by the country’s laws and have been staying in Sabah to earn a living. They contribute to our economy and social dynamics. The bad ones are those who take advantage of the country’s weak immigration system to indulge in unlawful activities. We should send a very strong message to the bad immigrants that we will not tolerate their attempts to flout the country’s law anymore.

Conclusion (What can we do?)

While waiting for the authorities to spring into action in tackling the illegal immigrant problem, we have an important role to play.

Whether we like it or not, we are partly to be blamed for causing the influx of illegal immigrants into Sabah.

First, we need to remain vigilant by reporting to the authorities the activities of illegal immigrants. This includes their hideouts and the people who protect them.

Second, we must stop hiring illegal immigrants to renovate our house or to clean our orchard. This seems to be widespread in the rural areas because some illegal immigrants are willing to accept anything in return for their services. 

Third, we must stop buying smuggled items brought by illegal immigrants such as cigarettes, VCDs, etc. I have seen locals buying contraband cigarettes from illegal immigrants openly.

If you are an employer, you can play a role too by not hiring illegal immigrants. It is tempting to hire them due to economic reasons, but it the long run, it can cause dire repercussions to the country.

Fifth, let’s start a statewide campaign with the slogan “no to illegals”. Sabahans need to express their strong feelings against the illegal immigrants. 

And in our attempt to rid the state of illegal immigrants, let’s show compassion and civility. Like us, illegal immigrants are human beings too. Some of them are victims of circumstances which they cannot control.