Illegal immigrants still on Sapp's hit list
Joseph SipalanPublished: Jun 13, 2011 8:47 AM | Updated: Jun 13, 2011 8:50 AM
In continuing to press for a royal commission of inquiry (RCI) on Sabah’s illegal immigrant problem, independent political party Sapp has claimed that the situation is worsening.
In continuing to press for a royal commission of inquiry (RCI) on Sabah’s illegal immigrant problem, independent political party Sapp has claimed that the situation is worsening.
Deputy president Eric Majimbun (centre in photo) said the population growth figures for Sabah are alarming as it almost doubles the national average over the past 40 years.
Based on figures from the national Statistics Department, Eric said the national growth average stands at 165 percent, from 10.44 million in 1970 to 27.27 million in 2010.
Sabah, however, saw an explosion of 390 percent in growth from 636,431 people in 1970 to 3.12 million in 2010.
"This means the population in Sabah grew by an average of about 10 percent every year," he said at a press conference in the Parliament lobby.
Earlier today, Eric had filed an emergency motion to debate Sabah's long-standing illegal immigrant issue and to push for a RCI to get to the bottom of this.
Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia, however, shot down the motion on the ground that the government is in the midst of "taking action".
‘We change the government’
Eric, who is Sepanggar MP, acknowledged that the government has indeed taken steps to manage Sabah's burgeoning transient population, but stressed that the issue persists and has become worse.
This is in spite of the money and effort spent to regularise the state's migrant population and repatriate illegals who are caught.
"The worst part is, some of them have become citizens and there is proof of this," he said, holding up several books on the subject written by Sabahan leaders and activists.
When asked, Eric agreed that the federal government has already made its stand clear that it will not set up a RCI on illegal immigrants in Sabah, but said it is no reason to stop pushing for one to be set up.
"If they still don't set up a royal commission, then we change the government," he said matter-of-factly.
Deputy president Eric Majimbun (centre in photo) said the population growth figures for Sabah are alarming as it almost doubles the national average over the past 40 years.Based on figures from the national Statistics Department, Eric said the national growth average stands at 165 percent, from 10.44 million in 1970 to 27.27 million in 2010.
Sabah, however, saw an explosion of 390 percent in growth from 636,431 people in 1970 to 3.12 million in 2010.
"This means the population in Sabah grew by an average of about 10 percent every year," he said at a press conference in the Parliament lobby.
Earlier today, Eric had filed an emergency motion to debate Sabah's long-standing illegal immigrant issue and to push for a RCI to get to the bottom of this.
Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia, however, shot down the motion on the ground that the government is in the midst of "taking action".
‘We change the government’
Eric, who is Sepanggar MP, acknowledged that the government has indeed taken steps to manage Sabah's burgeoning transient population, but stressed that the issue persists and has become worse.
This is in spite of the money and effort spent to regularise the state's migrant population and repatriate illegals who are caught."The worst part is, some of them have become citizens and there is proof of this," he said, holding up several books on the subject written by Sabahan leaders and activists.
When asked, Eric agreed that the federal government has already made its stand clear that it will not set up a RCI on illegal immigrants in Sabah, but said it is no reason to stop pushing for one to be set up.
"If they still don't set up a royal commission, then we change the government," he said matter-of-factly.
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