KUALA LUMPUR – The Sabah government is currently undertaking the digital census of undocumented migrants and non-citizens in Sabah, said the federal home minister.
Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the initiative aimed to record the presence of foreigners in Sabah, and involved various government agencies such as the National Registration Department and the Immigration Department to address documentation issues.
Responding to Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau’s (Tuaran-PH) query in Parliament, Saifuddin said the initiative was being carried out for the purpose of data collection and recording the presence of foreigners in Sabah.
Tangau had requested that the home minister clarify the barriers preventing the implementation of proposed solutions as recommended in the royal commission of inquiry (RCI) report to address the issue of undocumented foreign nationals in Sabah, which have yet to be fully implemented to date.
Although he did not mention the specific challenges involved, Saifuddin noted the establishment of the Management of Foreign Nationals in Sabah Committee, formed in response to recommendations from the RCI on the matter.
“As the honourable member (Madius) is aware, among the frequently raised issues in Sabah are documentation challenges for undocumented individuals and the standardisation of refugee documentation.
“The committee aims to study and discuss (these) issues related to (undocumented migrants) and foreign nationals in Sabah,” he said in a brief parliamentary written response.
In December 2014, the government established the committee on managing foreign nationals to study and discuss issues related to undocumented migrants in the state in accordance with the RCI’s recommendations.
The commission was first proposed in 2012, and hearings were held from January 14 to September 14, 2013.
The RCI was also formed to look into the social impact of giving citizenship to the migrants in Sabah. – June 27, 2024