MANILA Philippine Foreign Secretary Blas Ople summoned the Malaysian envoy here today to express concern over alleged mistreatment of Filipinos during a crackdown against illegal immigrants.

Ambassador Taufik Mohamed Noor said Ople "expressed concern over the condition of Filipino deportees, especially the sick children."

According to Philippine legislators, at least seven Filipino children have died in recent days under unhygienic conditions in holding areas crammed with hundreds of illegal immigrants awaiting deportation from Sabah.

"I promised to convey the Philippine government's concerns to Kuala Lumpur," Taufik said after a 30-minute meeting in Ople's office.

Top Philippine legislators earlier today demanded the government file a diplomatic protest with Malaysia over the treatment accorded to the Filipino deportees.

Below any decent standard

Malaysia introduced strict laws against illegals on Aug 1, with a mandatory six months in jail and up to six strokes of the cane for those convicted.

Since February, about 64,000 Filipinos have left Sabah and about 4,000 others are awaiting deportation, officials in Manila said.

It is estimated that up to half-a-million Filipinos live in Sabah, some of them refugees from a Muslim separatist rebellion in the southern Philippines in the 1970s.

Philippine television has broadcast pictures of appalling conditions at the holding centres teeming with illegals in Sabah. At least one woman was seen weeping over her dead baby.

Malaysian authorities claim they have "done their best" but "when you see people dying, it is certainly below any decent standard," Senator Manuel Villar told local television.

"The Malaysian government should be held liable for the deaths of these children who died in the holding areas with inhuman conditions," said Apolinario Lozada, a member of the House of Representatives.

Meeting 'cordial'

Ople recalled in his meeting with Taufik today that he had met Malaysian ministers last week in Kuala Lumpur and they had made a commitment to ensure an orderly departure of the Filipino deportees.

"But there is gap between what is promised and what is on the ground," Taufik quoted Ople as saying.

He described the meeting as "cordial." "We talked like good neighbours and hope to resolve this over time," he said.

Taufik said he also took the opportunity to explain Malaysia's position on the issue and the circumstances in which illegal immigrant holding centres in Sabah became overcrowded.

He said Malaysia gave a four-month amnesty period for illegals to voluntarily return home before implementing tough laws against them.

For Filipino illegals, the amnesty period was extended to Aug 24, he added.

"There was a mad rush to leave at the last minute and the small holding centres became crammed," he said.

During the amnesty period, Taufik said a total of 318,272 illegal immigrants left Malaysia voluntarily through 20 departure points.

He said of the total, 269,503 were Indonesians, 20,053 Indians, 17,570 Bangladeshis and the remainder from 50 other countries, including the Philippines. AFP