The current debate on the pendatang (migrant) issue should not be discussed further because it would only serve the interests of bigots and extremists, said Centre for a Better Tomorrow (Cenbet) co-president Gan Ping Sieu.

“For Malaysians to debate with fellow Malaysians, who among us is a pendatang, is a pseudo debate. Doing so would only serve the interests of bigots and extremists who are out to fan racial sentiments and confuse the public for political ends.

“If there is any pendatang issue that we ought to be concerned about, it should be about attempts by illegal immigrants, migrant workers and their children to become Malaysian citizens or have already become so,” he said in a statement today.

He added that while it would be legally correct to label foreigners who have been granted Malaysian citizenship as pendatang, labelling their descendants as such is unacceptable.

Such persons should be considered as born Malaysians, he said.

Gan was responding to statements made following Gerakan delegate Tan Lai Soon’s (right) speech at the Gerakan annual general meeting, that all Malaysians are pendatang except for the orang asli and natives of Sabah and Sarawak. He has since apologised and was suspended from the party for his remarks.

Former information minister Zainuddin Maidin replied that while Malays were indeed pendatang, they were here first and were better.

Gan said Zainuddin’s statement was “legally and conceptually wrong”, and his statement merely fanned sentiments amongst right-wing groups.


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