Datuk Talib Zulpilip speaking to reporters at the press conference. – Photo by Chimon Upon.
KUCHING (Dec 4): The state needs to look into refining border entry process and tightening its entry points to stop the entry of illegal immigrants and curb the spread of Covid-19.
Minister in the Chief Minister’s Office (Integrity and Ombudsman) Datuk Talib Zulpilip said that the state had been battling entries of illegal immigrants here for a long time, and it was even more crucial now with the pandemic.
“We have to finetune and improve the entry process at the border so that this issue can be controlled. This involved cooperation with the Immigration Department and the police. This is the biggest challenge faced by the state.
“What we are aware of is that some cases involved have records of them entering the state but not exiting. Thus, so many factors should be addressed,” Talib told a press conference at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) today.
He was responding to the issue of locals residing at the borders allegedly assisting illegal immigrants to enter the state through illegal routes or ‘jalan tikus’.
He added that the state could choose to seal its borders but there were those who had entered the state but never left and their whereabouts and numbers were unknown.
Talib said that this unknown information poses a threat to the state’s security if the illegal immigrants cannot be found.
“We need to know their whereabouts because during this Covid-19 pandemic, and to control its spread, we must know where they are or else we are back to square one,” he said.
Talib said that the purpose of the foreigners’ entry into the state was to earn a living, but it is difficult to control them without information on them.
Similarly, if they are found or have overstayed, they must be deported back to their home country. This does not only happen in Malaysia but in all countries in the world, he said.
“This does not mean that we (Sarawak) are the bad guys but we are merely taking precautions for the sake of our national interests,” he said.
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