PBS has issued an unprecedented public warning to the federal leadership on the continuing influx of illegal immigrants into the state.

"Failure to stem and reverse the tide of illegal immigrants risks the danger of BN losing Sabah as its electoral ‘fixed deposit," said a worried PBS Secretary-General Henryus Amin in Kota Kinabalu last night. "Sabah is not safe enough for BN."

He recalled that PBS President Joseph Pairin Kitingan, in his party policy speech late last year, had already set 2012 as the absolute deadline for a resolution of the long-simmering illegal immigrants issue in the state. Unfortunately, there has been no appropriate response from Putrajaya on the deadline, lamented Henrynus.

sabah illegal immigrant "Instead, all operations against illegal immigrants in the state have virtually come to a complete halt."

The PBS secretary-general was commenting on the stepped-up propaganda barrage in recent weeks by the opposition against the BN on illegal immigrant and public healthcare issues among others.

Continuing on Pairin, Henrynus pointed out that the PBS chief himself has led a high-powered delegation to meet with then prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi two years ago to deliver a memorandum on the continuing illegal immigrant influx into Sabah.

"PBS will never waver in its commitment to fight the menace of illegal immigrants," vowed Henrynus. "On the contrary, the party will strengthen its task force on illegal immigrants to collect more information and systematically report to the relevant authorities any incidence of illegal immigration and dubious activities".

‘Stop blanket denials’

Asked what could be expected from the federal leadership on tackling the illegal immigrant menace in Sabah, Henrynus called for Putrajaya to ‘set a timeline and a realistic deadline so that enforcement agencies can be held accountable for their action or inaction".

He alleged that major urban centres like Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan and Tawau and small towns like Lahad Datu were ‘fast becoming safe havens for illegal immigrants’.

"In fact, in districts such as Lahad Datu and Kinabatangan, foreigners including illegal immigrants have already outstripped the local population significantly," said Henrynus.

identity card mykad change of religion or faith Henrynus urged the National Registration Department (NRD), in particular, to stop the current discredited practice of issuing blanket denials whenever reports surface of illegal immigrants with a MyKad.

He reminded the NRD that former PBS Secretary-General Raden Malleh himself had reported several thousand cases of illegal immigrants with a MyKad to the department and the then ACA (Anti Corruption Agency) ‘but to no avail’.

The NRD and Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (formerly ACA) should disclose the outcome of their investigations, if any, he added. "These agencies should investigate the allegations, not hide the facts or shield the guilty ones."

PBS, according to the PBS leader, had also made numerous police reports between 1992 and 1999 on thousands of MyKad being issued to illegal immigrants. He, however, could not say why the party has not lodged even a single report with the relevant authorities over illegal immigrants in the last 11 years.

He implied that the party was ‘trying to settle the problem behind closed doors’.

‘A deliberate attempt’?

In calling on both agencies to ‘come clean and tell the truth’, the former Kinabalu MP opined that it was important for the authorities to dispel the fear among the people that the huge presence of foreigners in the state ‘could be a deliberate attempt to change the political demography of the state’.

"Some of these fears arise from the fact that illegal immigrants are becoming bolder by the day because the authorities turn a blind eye," said Henrynus. "They compete with the locals for social services. They also compete for agricultural land, jobs and business opportunities."

Henrynus acknowledged that as part of the state BN administration, PBS had a moral duty to see the end of illegal immigration.