KOTA KINABALU: The digitalisation of foreign worker data in Sabah is the right step forward, says Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
He noted that the issue of foreign nationals in Sabah has received serious attention from the government.
Through the Main Committee on the Management of Foreign Nationals in Sabah (JKPWAS-Induk), co-chaired by the Home Ministry and the Sabah Chief Minister, several key discussions have been held to address the problem of undocumented migrants (PTI).
Saifuddin added that one of the key decisions made was to continue the digital registration of foreign nationals in Sabah, a joint effort between the Sabah State Government and the Federal Government.
"This initiative aims to resolve the problem of multiple identity documents and improve the management of foreign nationals in Sabah more effectively and systematically.
"The data collection process is currently ongoing, and whatever policy we want to make, the data must be credible. Is this data collection process the correct decision? Yes, it is. Will it help us formulate better policies? Absolutely," said Saifuddin during the Convention on Combating Human Trafficking and Forced Labour Crimes 2024 at the Sabah International Convention Centre.
Present were Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor and Human Resources Minister Steven Sim.
The digitalisation of data on foreigners in Sabah was introduced in 2022, led by Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Jeffrey Kitingan, to address the long-standing issues related to immigrants.
The pilot project involved over 14,000 respondents from Sawit Kinabalu, a Sabah government-linked company, and found that almost half of them were undocumented immigrants.
Saifuddin added that the Ministry aims to involve industry players in the initiative.
"There are fees for the data collection; however, these are minimal compared to the hundreds of millions in profits that companies are earning.
"If we can collaborate with a more comprehensive approach, we believe this is the right effort to address the issue of undocumented immigrants," he said.
"This will also be how we organise the policy and manage the situation."