Immigration post at Menumbok crucial to prevent illegal entry of foreigners

 By Olivia Miwil - August 12, 2020 @ 6:37pm

(File pic) Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan) supreme council member Datuk Honorsius Joe Bosuin said the Labuan-Menumbok entry point had been claimed by many as the easiest entry point for foreigners to enter the state without having their travel document being properly stamped or endorsed.

KOTA KINABALU: The Federal government should set up an immigration post in Menumbok to control the entry of foreigners into the state.

Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan) supreme council member Datuk Honorsius Joe Bosuin said the Labuan-Menumbok entry point had been claimed by many as the easiest entry point for foreigners to enter the state without having their travel document being properly stamped or endorsed.

"The 'Labuan-Menumbok Loophole' had been an on-going problem for many years now.

"Perhaps this is the reason why the number of Pakistani nationals in Sabah escalated at an astonishing rate," he said in a statement.

Honorsius, who is also the chairman of Koperasi Pembangunan Desa Sabah, said there had been discussions between Pakatan Harapan government and Chief Minister of Sabah Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal on the setting up of the immigration post over the past two years.

After Perikatan Nasional took over the government early this year, such discussions were aborted.

He also said the proposed immigration post had been repeatedly called for by Penampang member of parliament, Datuk Darell Leiking through his parliamentary question as an opposition MP in Dewan Rakyat back in 2013.

"In view of the change of Federal Government, Datuk Darell is obliged to know whether the PN Government is going to set up the immigration post as soon as possible.

"I am very disappointed to note that the Home Ministry in its written answer yesterday had only said that it will study the suggestion when it should have understood the gravity of the issue since it basically relates to the state's sovereignty and security," he added.

Honorsius also said that he would like to challenge Deputy Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan and other Sabahan Federal Ministers to use their positions within the Federal Government to expedite the setting up of the immigration post with proper stamping of entry visas on non-Sabahans.