Migrants who have lived in Sabah for decades must be given papers, says Anwar
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THE Pakatan Harapan government will keep up its policy of legitimising the status of migrants who have lived for many years in Sabah, said PKR president Anwar Ibrahim.
“The position of the government on the issue of stateless people and migrants who have lived in the state for decades is that they should be given proper papers,” he said today during a walkabout in Sandakan town on the by-election campaign trail.
Anwar is in town to campaign for the PH candidate for the Sandakan federal seat, Vivian Wong.
Sabah is home to 1.15 million foreigners, who make up a little under a third of Sabah’s 3.9 million population. About 70% of the foreigners are illegal immigrants, according to the State Immigration Department.
Sabah politicians have repeatedly raised concern over the inflow of illegal immigrants to the state, which the locals fear would changSabah’s demographics.
Many of the immigrants arrived in Sabah in the 1970s, fleeing unrest in the southern Philippines.
In the 1990s there were allegations that the then federal government had tried to make them Malaysian citizens through dubious means such as Projek IC.
Anwar, who is the Port Dickson MP, is in Sabah to campaign for DAP’s candidate Vivian Wong in the Sandakan by-election. – May 7, 2019.