MEMBAKUT: The Sabah Temporary Pass (PSS) is vital in helping to identify and filter out illegal immigrants in the state holding dubious identity documents, namely the IMM13, Kad Burung-Burung and census certificate.
Deputy Home Minister Datuk Mohd Azis Jamman said that the three documents, which were issued in the past, are easily falsified by many syndicates.
He said the issuance of the PSS would involve 136,055 registered holders of the IMM13, Kad Burung-Burung, and census certificate.
The IMM13, with 51,645 registered holders, was issued by the Immigration Department; the Kad Burung-Burung (36,892) was issued by the Chief Minister’s Department; and the census certificate (47,518) was issued by the National Security Council (MKN).
“The government is being transparent. We don’t hide the figures (of registered holders) and it should not be more (than 136,055). It could be less, because some of them may have died,” Azis told Bongawan folks during a ceramah in the ongoing Kimanis by-election campaign here, today.
“So, how are we going to hunt illegal immigrants by using the PSS?
“Let’s say an ‘Ali’ comes to replace his IMM13. Immigration will check the name in their database. If the name is registered, a PSS will be issued.
“However, if an ‘Abu’ comes to replace his Kad Burung-Burung, the state affairs department will check their database. If the name does not appear, then we will know this person is holding a fake document.
“These are the people that we are going after, because they are the buyers of dubious documents. So, I don’t understand why, when we have decided to go ahead with a proposal made during the previous government, they (are objecting to it now),” he added.
Azis, who is Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan) Youth chief, also hit out at former Deputy Prime Minister and Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi over his denial that a similar pass, which was dubbed the Sabah Resident Pass, was discussed and planned by the previous administration.
Azis said that an Immigrants Management Main Committee meeting, co-chaired by Zahid and then-Chief Minister Tan Sri Musa Aman, was held at the Inspector-General of Police’s meeting room in Kuala Lumpur on July 31, 2015.
He added that the meeting’s minutes clearly state that the proposal for the IMM13, Kad Burung-Burung, and census certificate were to be streamlined using one pass – the Sabah Resident Pass.
“Of course, they (Barisan Nasional - BN) did not make an announcement (on the matter) because they lost in the previous election. When Pakatan Harapan (PH) took over, it became our responsibility to continue (implementing the PSS), as briefed by officers in the ministry.
“This cannot be a political agenda. It is not a BN, Umno, PH and Warisan agenda, but the government’s agenda on how best to tackle the presence of illegal immigrants in Sabah. In politics, we need the Opposition to carry out checks-and-balances, but we need an Opposition that has integrity.
“If the PSS is successful, credit should be given to the previous BN government because they introduced it. We would have at least expected that they praise our effort (to continue the implementation),” he said.
Home Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had yesterday stressed that the PSS was not a license to citizenship, and that the temporary pass would only be applicable within Sabah.
The pass would need to be renewed every three years for RM120, Muhyiddin said, adding that immigrants with the PSS would be able to apply for a job and have access to healthcare, education, and marriage officiation, but not the rights of the Sabah people.
In a BN ceramah at the Pimping district polling centre, former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had said BN would ensure that there would be no PSS should it become the government again.
“The PSS will not be implemented if BN wins. We give our assurance, because I know it (the implementation of the PSS) will open the doors to outsiders.
“Sabah will be ‘flooded’ (with immigr
ants). Our schools and hospitals will have their people. Our jobs will be taken away by them. Lastly, Sabah politics will also be controlled by them,” Najib said.