119. Why stateless kids?

http://www.theborneopost.com/2013/05/23/1455-stateless-kids-at-shelter-dept/

1,455 stateless kids at shelter – dept

Posted on May 23, 2013, Thursday

KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Welfare Department is assisting the Federal Special Task Force (FSTF) in looking after the welfare of stateless children that are housed at its Rumah Pelindungan Ehsan, according to the department’s Children’s Department Unit assistant director Mohd Azan Hussin.

He said the Welfare Department has 1,455 children between the ages of six and 18 being housed at the temporary facility now.

They comprise 1,119 males and 336 females, he told the Royal Commission of Inquiry on the presence of illegal immigrants yesterday, adding that 641 of these children were of Suluk descent, 556 of Bajau descent and the rest are of other nationalities including Tator, Butun, Kagayan and Pakistani.

Those aged between 15 and 18 made up the highest number of 902 staying at the FSTF’s welfare protection home, he said, adding that 205 of them are aged between six and 12, while the remaining 348 are 13 and 14-year-olds.

Mohd Azan said these children are categorized as stateless because they were not able to produce any identification documents when they were picked up by enforcement agencies.

“There are two categories of stateless children, those who have parents but are loitering and living in public areas and those who do not have parents or guardians and are loitering as well as living in public areas,” he said.

He said the Welfare Department helped out with the provision of education, clothing, schooling materials and personal hygiene products for the children who are housed at Rumah Perlindungan Ehsan.

Officers from the department would also carry out interviews with the children to gather information on their bio-data and background and if there were any doubts as to the information, they would refer the matter to FSTF, he said.

Asked why there were stateless children, Mohd Azan said based on his experience, they were the product of mixed marriages and their parents did not register their births.

“Some of these children are also those who had entered the state illegally with their parents or guardians and therefore do not have any valid travel or identification documents,” he said, adding that there were social implications as a result of the presence of stateless children such as them not getting any formal education and being exploited as child labour.

“Based on my discussions with officers from other agencies, some of these children also become beggars and in the long run they can bring bigger problems to the state and country,” he said.

When asked to explain what he meant by bigger problems, Mohd Azan said as these children did not have an education or identification documents, they would have problems getting jobs when they are adults.

“They may get involved in criminal activities and will also have problems getting married legally,” he said.

To a question from Commissioner Tan Sri Herman Luping on what happened to them when they turn 19, Mohd Azan said he was informed by FSTF that if they were not ‘claimed’ by their families, they would be transferred to the Temporary Detention Centre for adults.

118. massive SESB debts by illegal

http://www.theborneopost.com/2013/05/23/no-illegals-charged-for-power-theft-sesb/

No illegals charged for power theft – SESB

by Sandra Sokial. Posted on May 23, 2013, Thursday

KOTA KINABALU: The Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on illegal immigrant issues in Sabah yesterday heard that no one has been charged in court for illegal electricity connections at squatter colonies in Sabah due to difficulties in identifying the culprits.
Therefore, Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) had to bear the attendant cost, amounting to RM276,400 for the last five years from 2009 until February this year, to defray employees’ overtime and transportation costs in carrying out disconnection exercises, said SESB chief engineer Christiana Linus Majail.
She said disconnections such as these would normally take some time.
“We estimated an annual loss of RM3,717,720 during those years in five districts, namely Tawau, Sandakan, Semporna, Lahad Datu and Kota Kinabalu that had the highest number of reported cases of illegal electricity connection,” Christina told the Royal Commission of Inquiry on illegal immigrants yesterday.
She said that in 2009, SESB conducted a total of 110 operations to seek out illegal electricity connections at the five districts, (147) in 2010 , (149) in 2011 ,(175) in 2012 , and (110) as of February this year , adding that they had conducted integrated operations with other relevant agencies such as the police, immigration, water department and local authorities.
“To overcome power theft, we have two recommendations, which are, to replace the wires with aerial bundle cables and to lock the electricity feeders by the roadside,” she said.
She said the offenders had resorted to power theft after they are not granted proper electricity supply due to incomplete application process such as getting the approval from the local authorities, Public Works Department and Land and Survey Department to prove that the house and land belongs to them.
On another development, Sime Darby Plantation administration and foreign workers executive, Jakaria Nasiran, disclosed that foreign workers are more interested to have an income rather than worrying about the amount received, when compared to the locals.
“They are also more productive and hardworking,” he said, adding that Sime Darby does not practise favoritism as both foreign and local workers are given fair treatment and benefits.
He said they cannot favour the locals over the foreign workers for fear that they (foreign workers) would leave and abandon their work at the oil palm plantations.
To date, he said, there are a total of 5,523 foreign workers employed to work on Sime Darby’s 45,482 hectares of oil palm plantations, adding that they make up about 85 per cent of the company’s work force.
“As far as I am concerned, we do not employ any illegal immigrants to work with us, but I will not deny that there have cases where document-less people at our plantation have been arrested before. I can only assume that these people had come to work as recommended by those currently employed by us,” he said.
Jakaria added that employment are made either through agents or advertisements.
“All our employees are taken in through the right process where the recruitment fee, including levies, could come up to RM3,500 per person,” he said, adding that he hoped the relevant authorities would bring down the fee to lighten the employers’ burdens.
He said that currently, they are only allowed to take plantation workers from Indonesia and Philippines, and is hoping that the government would also allow them to source employees from other countries.
“As for social complications, some of these foreign workers may have been involved in activities that are against the law but these matters are usually settled by Sime Darby,” he said.
A total of 80 witnesses have so far been called to testify. The RCI hearing resumes today.

117. Hospital debts by illegals

http://www.theborneopost.com/2013/05/23/large-number-of-foreigners-in-hospitals-a-burden-dept-2/

Large number of foreigners in hospitals a burden – dept

by Sandra Sokial. Posted on May 23, 2013, Thursday

KOTA KINABALU: A senior officer with the health department yesterday described the high presence of foreigners, particularly illegal immigrants, at government hospitals and clinics as a ‘burden’.

Its principal assistant director (Non-Communicable and Communicable Diseases) Dr Maria Suleiman, the 75th witness called by the Royal Commission of Inquiry on illegal immigrants in Sabah, further disclosed that the numbers of both in and outpatients were alarming.

“We term them as ‘foreigners’ who comprise those with passports, IMM13 holders and illegal immigrants. The number of foreigners seeking outpatient treatments are recorded at 1, 010, 333 people and inpatients are 295,053 people.
“This is a burden since we do not have enough manpower and there are times when we run out of space and hospital beds until we have to fix ‘camp beds’ to meet the high number of patients,” she said when asked by conducting officer Datuk Azmi Ariffin to disclose the number of foreigners seeking treatment at government hospitals and clinics.
She added that between 2007 and 2012, the department recorded losses amounting to RM21,672,031.58 of unpaid medical expenses by a total of 42, 092 foreigners, compared to the unpaid figures from the locals totaling RM7, 723, 839.23.
“Most of the patients would leave their contact numbers and addresses, but when it comes to collect the arrears, we are unable to contact them or track them down as they do not live at the address given to us earlier,” she explained.
She added that the government also had to bear the cost of implementing measures to curb the spread of contagious diseases such as cholera, viral hepatitis, measles and leprosy which normally occur at squatter colonies, adding that they spent RM200,000 to contain its outbreak in 2011. That year a total of 2,898 cases were recorded.
On other development, she said birth rate comprising foreigners were recorded at 122, 882 babies between 2001 and 2011.
Maria added that there are a total of 22 hospitals statewide, comprising six specialists, 16 non-specialist hospitals, one psychiatry; 11 health offices, 80 health clinics, and 19 mother and child health clinics.
Sabah has 1,495 medical officers, 231 specialists, 4,837 nurses, 3,453 community nurses and 1,187 medical assistants.

116. local workers vs foreigners

http://www.theborneopost.com/2013/05/23/job-priority-for-locals-says-labour-dept-director/

Job priority for locals, says Labour Dept director

Posted on May 23, 2013, Thursday

KOTA KINABALU: Priority is given to local job seekers to fill up vacancies that are advertised by employers in the state, Sabah Labour Department Director, Datuk Siti Aishah Mohd Asri said.

The vacancies are advertised on the Job Malaysia Centre portal, she told the Royal Commission of Inquiry on the presence of illegal immigrant panel yesterday.

“If no locals take up the job offer after one month, the employer can apply to the Labour Department to hire foreign worker(s) to fill up the vacancies and they can do so after obtaining a Clearance Certificate from the Department,” she said.

Source countries for Sabah employers to get foreign workers are Indonesia, Philippines, Nepal, Myanmar and Vietnam.

At the moment, the bulk of general workers are sourced from the Philippines and Indonesia with a negligible number from Nepal, she said, adding that other than issuing the licence to local employers to bring in foreign workers, the Labour Department also ensures that the conditions as provided under the Labour Ordinance are met by the employers.

These includes the welfare and living conditions of the workers as the Labour Department will also act on complaints from the workers themselves if the conditions are not met.

“We will go to the work place and investigate to see if there is any truth to the complaints. We also carry out regular inspections at the place of employment,” she said.

When asked by Conducting Officer, Manoj Kurup, to confirm that it was cheaper to employ foreigners, Siti Aishah said that it was not accurate as it was quite expensive to bring in a non-resident employee as there are fees and levies to be paid.

“So far, where wages are concerned, foreign workers, especially those who are not properly documented, will accept whatever is offered,” she said.

Siti Aishah, who was also asked why locals were not interested to take up employment in certain sectors like agriculture and construction, replied that it was because of 3Ds; dangerous, dirty and dull.

“That is the impression we gathered from what is happening around us. The Labour Department in fact encourages locals to fill up the vacancies in these sectors and we help out by providing training programs for them but we still find that employers are still having difficulties getting locals into these sectors,” she said.

According to her, among the sectors which can be filled by foreign workers are plantation, agriculture, logging, domestic servant, construction and sub-sectors like motor workshops and retail businesses.

Foreigners are not allowed to be hired as security guards in Sabah and this is a policy set by the state Government, she said.

When asked by RCI chairman, Tan Sri Steve Shim, for the reason why it is so, Siti Aishah opined that security is considered a sensitive matter by the state government and therefore would prefer to have locals employed in the sector.

Shim also asked Siti Aishah for her general view on the foreign workers quality of work and she said that it is felt by employers that they are hardworking and produce results.

115. marriages of what people?

http://www.theborneopost.com/2013/05/23/population-rise-a-result-of-marriages-between-foreigners-and-sabahans-officer/

Population rise a result of marriages between foreigners and Sabahans – officer

by Nancy Lai. Posted on May 23, 2013, Thursday

KOTA KINABALU: From 2000 to October last year, a total of 19,781 foreigners had their marriages to Sabahans registered with the Sabah Islamic Affairs Council (JHEAINS), according to its chief assistant director Baharuddin Alwi.

Of the total, 10,922 were foreign women of various nationalities and most of them were Indonesians and Filipinas, he said.

The remaining 8,859 were foreign men who wed Sabahan women, Baharuddin told the Royal Commission of Inquiry on the presence of illegal immigrants in Sabah.

Baharuddin disclosed that in 2000, 222 foreign women married Sabahan men and the figure increased to 312 in 2001. In 2002 it was 450, 385 (2003), 640 (2004), 824 (2005), 403 (2006), 1,109 (2007), 1,539 (2008), 1,138 (2009), 1,165 (2010), 1,433 (2011) and 1,302 (from January to October 2012).

In the case of foreign men marrying Sabahan women, JHEAINS records shows 177 (2000), 222 (2001), 384 (2002), 374 (2003), 405 (2004), 582 (2005), 278 (2006), 789 (2007), 1,092 (2008), 885 (2009), 1,124 (2010), 1,304 (2011) and 1,243 (January to October 2012).

He said foreigners who wanted to marry locals must produce valid identification and travel documents to JHEAINS if they wanted to have their marriages registered.

Muslims under the age of 18 who wanted to marry must first obtain the approval from the Syariah Court, Baharuddin said, adding that there were applications for 13 and 14-year-olds to be married.

“A work pass however is not acceptable as proof of identification, he said, adding that JHEAINS would accept a valid IMM13, visit pass, professionals’ passports and the JKM census certificate but the latter must be verified by the department.

Baharuddin was responding to question from Conducting Officer Datuk Azmi Ariffin.

Asked by Commission Tan Sri Steve Shim as to what he wanted to show the panel by calling Baharuddin to give his statement, Azmi said: “To show that the population increase in Sabah was a result of marriages between foreigners and Sabahans.”

114. Who are the local? Project IC holders???

20,000 foreigners married locals

Published on: Thursday, May 23, 2013 http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news.cfm?NewsID=85418

Kota Kinabalu: Almost 20,000 Muslim foreigners comprising Filipinas and Indonesians married Muslim locals since 2000, according to Sabah Islamic Religious Affairs Department (Jheains) - a factor attributed to the increasing population in Sabah.
Its principal assistant director for administration division cum Registrar for Marriages, Divorces and Reconciliation, Baharuddin Alwi, said 19,781 Muslim foreigners were recorded as marrying the locals during the period.
However, he said, the statistics also showed more foreign women opted to marry local men in Sabah (10,922) compared to 8,859 foreign men marrying local women in the same period.
"The number of Muslim foreign women marrying local men in the State surged from 222 people in 2000 to 1,302 in 2012.
"Although there were increases and decreases in between the 12 years period, the overall statistics did show a gradual climb in registration of marriages between Malaysian men and foreign women in Sabah," he said.
Baharuddin was testifying as the 78th witness at the hearing of Royal Commission of Inquiry on huge presence of illegal immigrants in Sabah, here, Wednesday.
Foreign men who married Malaysian women, he said, came from Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Philippines and Indonesia, among others.
To a question from RCI Chairman Tan Sri Steve Shim as to the purpose of testifying on these statistics, Conducting Officer Datuk Azmi Ariffn said it was to find out how and why the population increased in Sabah over the years.
On marriages records from 1970s onwards, Baharuddin said the department has them but need some time to retrieve them. He said the foreigners produced valid identification and travel documents before registering their marriages in the department.
"These documents must also be verified with the concerned authorities and only then we continue to process their applications for them to marry.
"Among the documents are valid IMM13 cards, letter of census (Surat Banci) from the Chief Minister's Department that has been verified, Temporary Identification Receipts issued by the Settlement Unit, and passports except work pass.
"Under the Immigration Act, foreign workers possessing work pass cannot marry but he or she needs to revoke the work pass and return to the origin before coming back to Malaysia to marry," he said.
Datuk John Sikayun who is holding watching brief for Sabah Law Association, noted two underage Muslim girls aged 13 and14 among those Muslim Malaysian women who registered as married in the bundle of statistics submitted as exhibit in the hearing.
In light of this, Baharuddin said the Family Syariah Law required that any men who wants to marry an underage women must seek permission from the Syariah Court to do so prior to registering the marriage at Jheains.

113. Foreigners also endanger local doctors in treating them

Immigrants owe govt RM21.67 mil

May 22, 2013

The Sabah Royal Commission of Inquiry was told that the cost of medical treatment for immigrants was higher than the RM7.7 million for Malaysians over the same period.

KOTA KINABALU: Foreign nationals owe Sabah hospitals RM21.67 million in medical bills from 2007 to 2012, the Royal Commission Of Inquiry (RCI) on illegal immigrants in the state heard yesterday.
Principal assistant director of health (Communicable Diseases Control), Sabah Health Department, Dr Maria Suleiman said it involved 42,092 foreigners, mostly from the Philippines and Indonesia.
The RM21.67 million should have been paid by the foreigners after completing medical treatment in hospitals and clinics but they did not pay when asked.
“When the Health Department refered payment to the addresses given, they were not there and they could not be contacted by phone.”
The 75th witness said the cost of treatment was higher than the RM7,723,839.23 for Malaysians over the same period.
Conducting officer  Azmi Arifin was told between 2000 and 2011, some 1.3 million or 53.41 percent foreigners were given outpatient treatment in Sabah hospitals.
Dr Maria said some 295,053 foreign nationals were warded over the same period. A total of 122,882 births by foreigners were also recorded.
For treatnment, the foreigners only had to bring their passport, work permit And IMM13 (temporary identification receipt) but most did not have any personal documents.
She told observer lawyer John Sikayun of Sabah Law Association that hospitals continued to treat foreigners as doctors could not turn away patients.
The inquiry was also told that the government spent RM614,355 on foreign juvenile detainees from 2007 to 2012.
It was the average cost of managing juvenile detainees at Keningau Henry Gurney School and Kota Kinabalu Henry Gurney School.
Deputy Superintendent of Kota Kinabalu Prisons Kalbin Mohd Said said the foreign detainees were from the Philippines and Indonesia.
The proceedings is being held before a five member panel headed by former chief judge of Sabah and Sarawak, Steve Shim Lip Kiong continues tomorrow.
Other members are former Universiti Malaysia Sabah vice-chancellor Prof Dr Kamaruzaman Ampon, former Kuala Lumpur police chief Henry Chin Poy Wu, former Sabah state secretary Kee Mustafa and former Sabah deputy chief minister Herman J.Luping.
-Bernama