The Sabah government is still undecided over the status of 3,384 non-citizens who have gone through a census exercise in Semporna and Sandakan.

Special Functions Minister in the Chief Minister's Department Teo Chee Kang said the recent census by the Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) revealed that 815 households in Semporna comprised non-citizens.            

In Sandakan, there were 2,569 households, he said.   

"However, for local citizens of water villages in Semporna, the National Security Council in its meeting on Oct 17, last year decided to provide new settlements for them at the Simunul water village involving 832 units of houses under the People Housing Project (PPR) in Jalan Bubul Lama," said Teo.    

He was replying to Au Kam Wah (BN-Elopura) on the last day of the Sabah state assembly sitting in Kota Kinabalu yesterday.      

Teo said the government was also planning to build a total of 539 new units under PPR in Bugaya, adding that a decision was made for a RM124 monthly rental for each unit under a relocation exercise.

However, he said the government had yet to make a final decision (on the relocation exercise) involving the local citizens in Sandakan, but an integrated plan was afoot, including identifying suitable areas for the new resettlement which was expected to be jointly built by the Sandakan Municipal Council and a private developer.    

Winding up his ministry's speech, he said the strategic cooperation among security and enforcement agencies should be bonded to ensure security in the east coast of Sabah was well guarded.    

He said Esscom would continue to play its role and perform its duties to achieve its objectives as entrusted by the government.      

- Bernama