Bandar Kuching MP Chong Chieng Jen was criticised for being narrow-minded when he criticished the authorities for recruiting 'foreigners' to man 200 immigration officer posts in Sarawak.

A seniour academic from Peninsular Malaysia attached to a Kuching-based university told malaysiakini on conditions of anonymity that Chong's views were 'myopic'.

"If we took this myopic view of things, thousands of Sarawakians in Peninsular Malaysia would have to come home (to fill up the positions) and end up being unemployed since there is insufficient work for them here," he said

The academic added that the opposition MP seemed to suggest that only a Sarawakian was fit to become an immigration officer in Sarawak.

Yesterday, Chong criticised the state government for only hiring 18 Sarawakians for the job. The rest were filled by Malaysians from other states.

He described the move as an attempt by the Public Services Commission to undermine the state's autonomy over the matter and to unfairly deny civil service jobs to locals.

Simplistic logic

"Now, what special qualification does being born Sarawakian endow an individual to man immigration counters? By extension, does this mean that if any similar job needs to be done in KL, Penang, Johor or Sabah, we only employ non-Sarawakians?" added the academic.

The academic referred to Chong's comments as 'simplistic logic' as thousands of East Malaysians and foreigners working in Peninsular Malaysia did not undermine the autonomy of the states.

Instead, the academic believes workers from other states help enrich the Malaysian society and promotes integration and cultural understanding.

"Is that so wrong? So, in short, unless one wants to remain insular and isolated like the frog under the coconut shell which in today's day and age is rather anachronistic," quipped the academic.