KOTA KINABALU: Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) has not wavered from its firm stand to resolve the long-standing illegal immigrants problem in the state, says party secretary general Datuk Joniston Bangkuai.

       He said the party's stand was for Sabah to get rid of illegal immigrants and it continued to focus on the issue through various platforms.

       A few weeks ago, he said PBS president Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili, who was also the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Sabah and Sarawak Affairs), said that the migrant issue should be discussed by Sabah lawmakers via an inter-party select committee.

       Bangkuai said that these were among the continuing efforts by PBS to resolve the long-standing problem once and for all.

       He said that in June 2020, Ongkili led a high-level PBS delegation to submit to Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin a memorandum containing suggestions to solve the illegal immigrants problem and had persistently pursued the matter.

       Among the suggestions were for the government to use the RCI on illegal immigrants and "Project IC" findings as reference to deal with the migrant problem.

       Ongkili had also written a letter to the Election Commission asking it to only implement the "Undi 18" in Sabah after the state electoral rolls were cleared from dubious voters considering the large number of illegal immigrants in the state.

       "In fact, PBS have sought a meeting with the EC chairman to discuss our concern and we are still waiting for it to materialise, despite numerous follow ups.

       "Our stand on the illegal immigrants and "Project IC" issues remains, and PBS will continue to pursue a solution to the problem," said Bangkuai, who said his party was foremost on the issue since 1985.

       Bangkuai was responding to former PBS Senator Dr Chong Eng Leong urging Ongkili to make his stand on the "Project IC" issue that had changed Sabah's social demography over the years and suggested for those without documents to be issued with temporary immigration passes.

       "We acknowledge the issues raised by Dr Chong Eng Leong but it is not right to say that PBS has changed its tune on PATI issues. We were, are still, and will always be against their presence in Sabah. Sabah is for genuine Malaysians only," Bangkuai said.

       "We hope when the inter-party select committee is formed, it will not leave any stones unturned to determine the root of this problem, and come up with proper solutions," said Bangkuai, who is also the Assistant Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister.