Malaysiakini
Dec 3, 2014

The royal commission of inquiry (RCI) on Sabah has made only one recommendation in its 376-page report – a permanent secretariat to address the problem of illegal immigrants in the state.

In its long-awaited report unveiled today after two years of exhaustive inquiry, the RCI came up with a 199-word recommendation where the main plank is for the government to set up another committee.

The four-paragraph recommendation also proposed the setting up of a management committee on foreigners with extensive powers to support the permanent secretariat.

However, the RCI stressed that if the concept of such a management committee is not acceptable to the government, there is the choice of forming a consultative council on immigrants and foreigners.

This council, the RCI said, should be headed by an independent professional of the highest integrity who is not involved in politics and consist of senior government servants, corporate figures, academics, law association representatives, state attorney-general and so forth.

“The council should be conferred with extensive powers in researches and studies on all aspects relating to immigrants/foreigners in Sabah and to discuss and deliberate thereon and thereafter, to make reports including recommendations to the permanent secretariat.

“The council should also be conferred powers of establishing committees or sub-committees to deal with specific aspects on immigrants/foreigners in Sabah,” read the report.

With such a body, the RCI expressed confidence that the illegal immigrant problems and related matters plaguing Sabah can be resolved.

“And that sense of gloom we referred to earlier, be erased forever,” it added.

The six-member royal commission, set up in 2012, was headed by former chief judge of Sabah and Sarawak Steve Shim. It completed its report earlier this year but it was not made public until today.

Full Sabah RCI recommendation

“We would subscribe to the proposals announced by NRD (National Registration Department) workshop. We believe that a permanent secretariat along the lines propagated by the workshop as reflected in the document P136 should be established. The workshop has proposed a management committee on foreigners with extensive powers as a support-base for the permanent secretariat.

“However, if the concept of this management committee is not acceptable to the government, then perhaps a consultative councils on immigrants/foreigners headed by an independent professional of the highest integrity who is not involved in politics and consisting of senior government servants, corporate figures, academics, law association representatives, state attorney, general, etc, could be established.

“The council should be conferred in extensive powers in research and studies on all aspects relating to immigrants/foreigners in Sabah and to discuss and deliberate thereon and thereafter, to make reports including recommendations to the permanent secretariat. The council should also be conferred powers of establishing committees or sub-committees to deal with specific aspects on immigrants/foreigners in Sabah.

“With such a body, we are confident that the illegal immigrant problems and related matters plaguing Sabah can be resolved and that sense of gloom we referred to earlier, be erased forever.”