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©New Straits Times (Used by permission)
by Eileen Ng

KUALA LUMPUR: The operation to repatriate between 100,000 and 150,000 illegal immigrants in Sabah will start next month.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said it would begin in the west coast of the state before moving towards the east coast.

"We are starting in the west coast because the Camp Paradise transit camp in Kota Belud will be ready by that time.

"This decision underlines the government's political will to tackle the problem.

"We have to be determined about this. We cannot, after the launch of the operation, allow this problem to recur in Sabah.

"We must regard this as a continuous effort to not only control it, but stop it from recurring," he said at a press conference in Parliament after chairing a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Illegal Immigrants in Sabah yesterday.

The last operation against illegal immigrants in the state was in 2001.

Najib said the cabinet, at its meeting last Friday, had approved RM50 million for the operation, which includes the purchase of equipment.

The operation will involve several enforcement agencies, including the police, Rela and the Immigration Department.

Najib said the Home Ministry will coordinate the operation, with the police being the lead enforcement agency.

"We will beef up enforcement, especially by the police, to ensure there is no increase in crime," he said, adding that Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman and State Secretary Datuk Sukarti Wakiman would brief MPs on the operation.

Najib said discussions had been held with Indonesian and Filipino authorities on the operation. Both countries understood the rationale behind it.

On the problem of street children, Najib said the Home Ministry would carry out discussions with the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry on shelters for them.

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