KOTA KINABALU: Sabah should not introduce the proposed Sabah Temporary Pass (PSS) aimed at legalising the illegals in the state.
Former Chief Minister Datuk Yong Teck Lee said the PSS, which is to be introduced from June 1 next year, was causing widespread confusion and concern among Malaysians.
“The government must not rush into a programme to legalise illegals and create unnecessary concern among Malaysians.
“The proposed PSS should be called off until and unless the government can give clear and consistent reasons for introducing it,” the Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) president said in a statement.
Yong said the Sabah Government had, in 1996, called off the proposed Cross Border Pass (for Filipinos) because the premature announcement had caused alarm.
The then Federal and State Governments later introduced the Regularisation Programme for foreign workers while illegal immigrants were deported.
Holders of IMM13 (visit pass) were allowed to remain as they were granted exemption from the passport requirement in the 1970s under the Immigration Act.
IMM13 was a one-off exercise to cater to war refugees. Surat Burung Burung and Census papers, which were issued in the 1980s, were irrelevant and could not be used as a legal basis to remain in Malaysia.
It was reported that about 600,000 holders of IMM13, Surat Burung Burung, and Census cards would receive the PSS as a way for the government to have centralised data on foreigners in Sabah.
Yong said the figure was too big to be accurate as there were only 60,000 IMM13 cards issued between 1973 and 1974 while Kad Burung Burung and the Census papers overlapped and were neither immigration nor citizenship documents.
Meanwhile, SAPP vice president Gee Tien Siong also called on the government to release the 5,000 missing pages which were omitted from the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) Report on illegal immigrants in Sabah.
Gee said DAP leaders had pointed out that the 5,000 pages of evidence presented to the RCI panel during the public hearings in 2012 and 2013 were not included in the RCI report released on Dec 3, 2014.
“DAP Supremo Lim Kit Siang was the one making the most noise about the missing 5,000 pages. As DAP is now the biggest party in the Pakatan Harapan government, they should not disappoint the people," he said.
“Since Home Affairs minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had said the PSS for migrants could solve the issue of various documents issued to immigrants before, the government must not hold back on the 5,000 missing pages.”