(AFP) The government said today it planned to deport 30,000 illegal immigrants from its Sabah state on Borneo island.

The police and armed forces, along with immigration civil defence officers, will be involved in the joint operation to be launched as soon as possible, Chor Chee Heung, deputy home minister, said.

Chor was quoted by the official Bernama news agency as saying 30,000 illegal immigrants of different nationalities were living illegally in several settlements in the state's rural areas.

He said migrants who were living there legally on temporary residence passes would also be encouraged to return home.

Zero illegal entry

Malaysia, home to 750,000 foreign workers and hundreds and thousands of illegal workers, has recently stepped up efforts to clamp down on illegal immigrants.

The government announced this month it would tighten coastal security in the narrow Straits of Malacca and along the northern Penang coast line as it aims for zero illegal entry this year.

The preventive measures are running alongside the plan to deport illegal immigrants already in the country. The government says there are some 450,000 from Indonesia and it will deport about 10,000 every month.

The illegal migrants are said to have contributed to a growth in crime and other social problems, but the tough new line is also seen as a bid to protect jobs for locals in a time of economic hardship.