The problem of illegal immigrants in Sabah today is even worse than more than a decade ago when the resolution of the long-standing problem of illegal immigrants in Sabah was proclaimed as one of the pillars of Sabah Baru 13 years ago.

In the seventies, there were 100,000 to 200,000 illegal immigrants, which have mushroomed to some one million to 1.5 million at present, to the extent that there are Sabahans who warned that they have been outnumbered as to become strangers in their own country.

At the time when Umno leaders were promising a Sabah Baru to resolve the problem of illegal immigrants in the state, they were actively involved in the racket known as Project I/C to legalise the status of illegal immigrants by issuing them false identity cards to become phantom voters determining the political destiny of Sabah.

The political turmoils in Sabah, which Umno and Barisan Nasional leaders have refused to acknowledge, must be admitted and corrected or they will undermine the international competitiveness both of Sabah and Malaysia.

What I speak represents the cries of the ordinary people of Sabah. Let it be fully heeded.

I said the above in Parliament last year during the debate on the 2007 Supplementary Estimates on 16th April 2007.

It was a voice in the wilderness and ignored by the Barisan Nasional Government.

More than a year later, as a direct result of the March 8 “political tsunami” in Peninsular Malaysia, it has become a full-throated demand in Parliament by Sabah Members of Parliament (DAP and Barisan Nasional) as part of the larger thrust to end the discrimination, marginalization and victimization of the people of Sabah from the mainstream of Malaysian national development.

The centrality of the issue of illegal immigrants in Sabah in the overall demand for justice and fair play by the people of Sabah 45 years after formation of Malaysia could be captured by the following New Straits Times report of yesterday’s parliamentary debate:

2008/05/14

Sabah MPs demand action on illegals

THE issue of illegal immigrants from the Philippines continued to dominate House proceedings for the second day in a row.

Datuk Seri Joseph Pairin Kitingan (BN-Keningau) said over the years, the House had heard and seen the problems brought by the immigrants first-hand.

“We’ve shown evidence of detrimental effects that the foreigners had on Sabah. And yet, no one took our claims and evidence seriously,” he said.

“We need to see a positive reaction from the government.

“Those involved in letting the immigrants slip into the country should be considered as committing treason.

“The illegal immigrants had false identity cards and were even listed on the electoral rolls.”

Rosnah Rashid Shirlin (BN-Papar) called for the closure of the Kinarut refugee centre, which she described as unhygenic.

On Monday, Datuk Wilfred Bumburing (BN-Tuaran) called on the government to deal with illegal immigrants from the Philippines or face having the state being overrun by them.

Datuk Eric Majimbun (BN-Sepanggar) said the government should show its will to solve the problem by setting up a special commission to address the problem.

“If the government could set up the Lingam Royal Commission, surely it could do the same for the immigrant problem,” he said.

But are the long-suppressed voices of the people of Sabah being heard by the corridors of power in the Federal capital?

The answer must be in the negative if we go by the reply of the Home Minister, Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar when winding up the debate on his Ministry this evening,

This caused to me stand up to point out to Hamid just before he sat down at the end of his nearly two-hour long reply that the Home Minister had dealt with many issues raised by MPs in the seven-day policy debate by backbenchers – except one, the important issue which is the concern of all Sabah MPs and Sabahans, the problem of illegal immigrants in Sabah

When Hamid mischievously suggested that I was trying to fan Sabahan unrest, I retorted that I supported the legitimate grievances of the people of Sabah on this issue. In fact, I first raised the menace of the problem of illegal immigrants in Sabah three decades ago in the late 70s.

Unfortunately, there was not a single Sabah BN MP present in Parliament who stood up to express support for my outrage at Hamid’s total disregard of the subject of illegal immigrants in Sabah, including the Project Mahathir issue, post March 8 “political tsunami”.