Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) president Joseph Pairin Kitingan today called for inclusion of immigration matters and creation of more job opportunities in the National Key Result Areas (NKRA) for Sabah and Sarawak.

bn supreme council mt meeting sapp sabah issue 190608 pairin kitingan He said the NKRA Pemandu (Performance Management and Delivery Unit) Committee on the Government Transformation Programme (GTP) in Sabah and Sarawak should conduct research on the need to protect the immigration powers of the two states.

"There was a need for such a move as Sabah, in particular, was still grappling with the problem of illegal immigrants," said Pairin, who is a Sabah deputy chief minister.  

"I do believe that this is one area that needs to be looked into very seriously because it has a lot of implications," he said after meeting members of the NKRA Pemandu Committee on the GTP in Sabah and Sarawak.

Five labs

Yesterday, the NKRA Pemandu Committee on the GTP in Sabah and Sarawak agreed to facilitate five laboratories - covering education, economy, infrastructure social development, and land and legal matters - to help enhance bumiputera development in the two states.

Pairin said it was important to give assurance and confidence of their future to the local people, particularly those who still sought justice and fair share in work and other opportunities.

"I think the objective is to bring about a very satisfactory situation all round so that all citizens of Malaysia will feel happy that they are also being protected ... that their security is assured," he said.

He also said that another area that needed to be looked into was the creation of more job opportunities for the local people.

"That means the government has to train our people in advance to meet future demand," he said.

- Bernama