Authorities appear to be in gridlock over Taman Makmur, largely abandoned near Kota Kinabalu city centre, and allegedly occupied by some 400 illegal immigrants.

It is not known how long the 38 houses, including three partially burnt, have been occupied, apparently right under the noses of the authorities.

The police and other authorities have been showing little interest in tackling this long festering problem.

"We will look into the matter," assured Sabah Commissioner of Police Noor Rashid Ibrahim when the matter was raised with him.

"We will have to investigate first and then only action can be taken."

port kota kinabalu aerial view 260209 He urged residents, community leaders and "those concerned about any wrong-doings" or the presence of illegal immigrants in their area to inform the police.

With co-operation from the public, police will be able to carry out their duties effectively, he added.

Foot-dragging now an art form

The Immigration Department, National Registration Department and the Kota Kinabalu City Hall, meanwhile, have been non-committal about their participation in any operation with the police to flush out the illegal immigrants.

City Hall Director of Planning Alijus Sipil could not be immediately reached for comment.

The issue became public knowledge after anti-illegal immigration activist Dr Chong Eng Leong raised the matter in the local media when the authorities appeared to ignore the problem.

suhakam roundtable kk sabah 020806 dr chong eng leong According to him, the matter was brought to the attention of City Hall last year but reportedly no action was taken.

He followed this up with a police report at the Karamunsing City Police Headquarters nearly two weeks ago but ran into another brick wall.

"The presence of these foreigners in Taman Makmur adjacent to the Luyang Government Health Clinic is worrying locals there," said Dr Chong ( left ) who heads PKR's National Integration Bureau. "They are worried about their security and spend sleepless nights."

Proprietors suspected offenders

He urged the police and other relevant authorities in his report to probe the brazen occupation of the abandoned houses by illegal immigrants and other foreigners.

He said that they are occupying several rows of terrace houses which are unfit for occupation.

Most of the houses in Taman Makmur were abandoned when the land there began to sink a few years after construction, according to Dr Chong. "Taman Makmur is one of the earliest housing estates in the area."

The suspicion is that many of these houses may have also been rented out by their owners to the illegal immigrants since no one else will rent them.

There is a law against locals renting out their premises to illegal immigrants.

Many houses in Taman Makmur seem to have legal or illegal power and water connection.

This brings the Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) and Sabah Water Board into the picture in any operation against the illegal immigrants of Taman Makmur.

SESB has been complaining about rampant theft of power, especially in Kota Kinabalu and other major towns.

Taman Makmur is 20 minutes from the KK Central Business District.

The housing estate is in a prime location linked by good roads and is next to other housing estates and commercial areas.

It has good telephone connectivity and good visibility from the main road. There is a good playground and a basketball court.

The area is serviced by good public transport, stage buses and mini buses until 9 pm from the nearby Heritage Plaza bus stop.

According to sources in City Hall, Lot 9 to Lot 30 in Taman Makmur are particularly badly hit by land sinkage, below standard piling and structural defects.

Apparently the nearby Taman Sepat is also experiencing land subsidence while cracks have appeared along the fencing and pavement of the Luyang Clinic.

The road level across a nearby bridge near the clinic has also dropped, according to City Hall, and had to be re-surfaced many times in the recent past.