KOTA KINABALU: Dr Chong Eng Leong, a social activist and well-known Sabah surgeon, emphasized the need to implement the long-delayed registration of unregistered foreign workers, undocumented foreigners and those with refugee documents in Sabah. He recommended that the state and federal governments carry out this registration based on the findings of the 2013 Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) into Sabah’s migrant problem.
During the launch of his book, “Population Explosion and Demographic Shift in Sabah,” at the Sabah State Museum on Jan 27, Dr Chong stressed the importance of political will from Sabah leaders to address the issue and urged collaboration with the federal government for a resolution.
The book covers issues related to migrants in Sabah, refugees, and stateless foreigners and was launched in the presence of distinguished individuals, including former Malaysia Chief Justice Tun Richard Malanjum and retired senior civil servant Datuk Stan Yee.
Dr Chong also mentioned that more than a decade has passed since the RCI recommended issuing temporary resident cards to undocumented foreigners in Sabah, yet no significant action has been taken.
He highlighted the unsuccessful attempt by the Warisan state government in 2019 to implement the RCI-recommended temporary resident card, which was vehemently opposed by political opponents at the time.
Dr Chong pointed out that despite promises from current government officials to register undocumented foreigners under the renamed temporary resident pass, there has been minimal progress in more than two years. Polticizing the issue, he noted, is not the solution to the problem in Sabah.
Suggestions proposed by Dr Chong to address the migrant problem include tackling corruption among enforcement outfits and establishing consulates in Sabah and neighboring countries.
He also recommended the establishment of a Special State Secretariat overseeing immigrant management and issuing permanent resident status to those with Malaysian identity cards obtained illegally in the 1990s, along with accepting their children as Malaysians.
This book serves as Dr Chong’s second publication regarding Sabah’s irregular population growth and issues with phantom voters. His interest in the migrant problem was sparked during his involvement in politics in the 1990s, noticing the use of illegal immigrants as “phantom” voters.
