PENAMPANG: Foreigners aspiring to call Malaysia home or those wishing to earn a living in the country are warned to get proper documentation through the correct channel.
“We are very clear that those wishing to continue living here must first get the necessary documentation of their stay. That is the law that they must obey,” stressed Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Tan Sri Bernard Dompok, yesterday.
He said with the current development in Malaysia, it is no doubt the country is in need of more manpower, especially foreign workers.
“But the law of the country must be obeyed by everybody. And people who come to work illegally here are subjected to a lot of things, and it is possible that without proper documentations, the illegal immigrants are abused by their employers. My advice is to go back to your countries of origin and come back with valid documents,” he told reporters after attending the 1Malaysia Ramadan celebration cum breaking of fast at the State Prison Department quarters at Kampung Matambai near here.
Responding to the recent statement by Liberal Democratic Party Youth chief Chin Shu Yin who claimed that there are some 900,000 non-Malaysians in Sabah, Dompok, who is also Penampang Member of Parliament, hoped that the figures can be verified through the recent foreigners’ registration exercises carried out nationwide.
However, Dompok described Chin’s statement that many refugees have been granted with MyKad as bad, adding that the country has laws and accepts people coming from all over the world who wish to make the country their home.
“There are people coming from different parts of the world who came here and accepted either as permanent citizens (PR) or citizens, but of course, before they can be part of us, they must apply through the normal way.
“No one should go through the back door, must go through the front door. If indeed they want to be citizens, there are necessary applications that need to be filled and sent, it is the same practice in other countries as well.
“There are a lot of people staying here, whether legal or illegal, but I believe that through the recent registration exercise, we will be able to determine the numbers that should get the proper documents.
“I would again like to reiterate my call for the setting up of the Royal Commission of Inquiry to put this matter to rest. I believe Malaysia can be quite sure that if this comes through, any immigration-related issues and foreign workers can be regularised and will meet the satisfaction of every Malaysian,” he said.
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