I don't know if this is something that is going on in other parts of Malaysia but in Sabah, we have the 'Pakistani menace'. We have all heard about the longstanding problems with illegal Filipino and Indonesian workers in Sabah but now, the new problem lies with the flood of Pakistanis into the state.

Let me relate to you my recent experience at the Immigration Department in Kota Kinabalu, where I went to renew my passport.

There were at least half a dozen Pakistanis in the Malaysian passports section, all waiting to submit forms for either new passports or replacement passports. I was sitting close to them and could overhear and understand their conversations, as I am a Punjabi.

None of them were Malaysian citizens and they were laughing about the fact it was easier to get things done in Sabah than it was in West Malaysia.

Two of them were holding used Malaysian passports, while the rest were obviously applying for new passports. From what I could understand from their conversation, they were using another Pakistani as a middleman to get their matters attended to.

When their turn came to go to the counter, none of them could speak proper Bahasa Malaysia or even a word of English. The middleman translated for them what was being said by the female officer.

How is this happening? That people like these are able to get away with what is so clearly citizenship fraud in front of our own immigration officers? If I was the officer at the desk, I would have told the middleman to go away and spoken directly to the applicant.

If the Immigration Department doesn't care about this then how many others have obtained Malaysian citizenship through crooked means? If the government is serious about this problem, kindly review all passport applications at the Kota Kinabalu Immigration Department office on Dec 6.

The Pakistani menace isn't restricted to just Kota Kinabalu. There are hundreds of them conducting business throughout Sabah, approaching small kampung households daily offering loans to purchase textiles, furniture, televisions and other equipment to poor families.

They then make them pay through their noses via long-term repayment schemes. This problem has been in existence for over three years now and it's getting worse.

It is obvious that they are not tourists and if they keep renewing their visas to stay on in the country or leave Malaysia and then come back the next day or week.

Surely it's common sense for any immigration officer to realise that these chaps must be working or conducting business illegally in Malaysia and therefore should be denied entry?