Malaysia praises private sectors in Sabah, Zamboanga

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Sept. 26, 2010) – Malaysia has praised efforts by private sectors in Sabah and Zamboanga City in the southern Philippines to improve bilateral trade between the two neighbors.

Malaysia and the Philippines are part of the East ASEAN Growth Area to which Indonesia and Brunei are also members. The four countries have forged an agreement to achieve certain objectives, which include facilitating the free movement of people, goods, and services; share common infrastructure and natural resources; and pursue economic complementation.

While ASEAN is an acronym of Association of Southeast Asian Nations, an alliance of 10 countries - Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. Its aims include the acceleration of economic growth, social progress, cultural development among its members, the protection of the peace and stability of the region, and to provide opportunities for member countries to discuss differences peacefully.

Malaysia’s State Industrial Development Minister Datuk Raymond Tan Shu Kiah said this was crucial to face changes and challenges in the global business. He said the private sectors in Sabah and Zamboanga have agreed to find the right mechanism to boost bilateral trade under the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asean Growth Area.

“The move will pave the way for higher bilateral trade volume,” Malaysia’s Bernama news agency quoted him as telling reporters after discussions with the private sectors, consultant companies and Manila-based Asian Development Bank involved in the Sandakan-Zamboanga bilateral trade.

It said among matters discussed during the meeting were the upgrading of customs, immigration and port services and increasing the number of ferries plying between Sandakan and Zamboanga.

“The improvements would facilitate higher two-way trade volume and woo more traders from neighboring countries to do business in this district,” Tan said referring to Sandakan, the second largest city in Sabah whose harbor is an inlet of the Sulu Sea.

He said the main focus was to upgrade services at Sandakan and Zamboanga ports as they were the gateways between Sabah and the southern Philippines. He said the Asian Development Bank also appointed a consultant company that would conduct a study and provide suggestions to improve services at the two ports.

“This is a positive development to boost bilateral trade between the private sector here and in Zamboanga. I hope after the study has been completed will be followed up with implementation of the ways recommended to improve services. This is crucial because of the keen competition in the global business environment,” he added.

Zamboanga City which lies on the tip of western Mindanao is the center of trade of Sulu, Basilan and Tawi-Tawi, all part of the Muslim autonomous region. It is also why Zamboanga remains one of the wealthiest cities in Mindanao.

In Sulu, Governor Sakur Tan is also pursuing efforts to hasten trade and commerce between Sabah and his province. He said the recent renovation of the Sulu airport would boost domestic trade and in return increase the flow of commerce in the provinces and Zamboanga City.

“We have trade and various programs that aim to attract investments and we are linking up with our neighbors to help in pursuing the mission and vision of the BIMP-EAGA,” Tan said.

The airport in Sulu, whose renovation was funded by the US and the Philippine governments, can accommodate larger aircrafts. And Sulu’s bustling ports are also gateway to Malaysia and Indonesia. (Mindanao Examiner)

Filipino kidnappers demand ransoms for 2 Malaysian hostages

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Sept. 15, 2010) – Filipino gunmen holding two Malaysian seaweed farmers have demanded two million ringgits in exchange for their safe release, reports said.

The duo - Tsen Vui Chung, 42, and his cousin Lai Wing Chau, 33, - were seized in February from their farm in the island of Pulau Sebangkit in Sabah and were taken to Tawi-Tawi province in the southern Philippines.

Malaysian authorities initially said the kidnapping was connected to a labor dispute among workers in the seaweed farm and that the hostages are being held in Sabah.

But Malaysia’s The Star newspaper reported on Wednesday that the kidnappers have demanded ransoms to the families of the hostages.

“We are ordinary people. Where can we find such money?” The star quoted Tsen's wife, Chua Mui Ling, who confirmed the ransom demand.

The woman claimed they received a phone call just recently from Tsen who said they are okay and were not harmed by their captors. It was the second time the kidnappers contacted the family since the duo was seized.

It was unknown whether the kidnappers are members of the militant group Abu Sayyaf, which had kidnapped 21 mostly Western holidaymakers in Sabah’s resort island of Sipadan in 2001. The hostages were then ransomed off to Libya, which negotiated for their release, for millions of dollars. (Mindanao Examiner)

Malaysia rules out Sayyaf as behind abductions of 2 citizens in Sabah, says labor dispute likely motive

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Feb. 12, 2010) – Kuala Lumpur has ruled out the involvement of a Filipino terrorist group Abu Sayyaf in the abductions of two Malaysian men at a seaweed farm in the eastern state of Sabah.

Chung Chen Yui and Chung Lai Wong were seized on February 8 by five masked gunmen from the island of Sebangkat, off the town of Semporma. The two are manager and supervisor of a seaweed farm.

Malaysia’s Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said the abductions of the duo were not linked to the terrorist group, but was connected to a business dispute among workers at the seaweed farm.

A report Friday by Malaysia’s The Star newspaper said the minister also refuted foreign news reports linking the Abu Sayyaf to the abductions. “This is not true at all. It has nothing to do with terrorists,” he told reporters after a meeting with Hua Zong, of the Federation of Chinese Associations Malaysia, in Putrajaya on Thursday.

Malaysian Defense Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid also said the abductions were not an act of terrorism, but more of a personal dispute.

“It is purely a business problem between employer and employees. It has nothing to do with terrorism or the travel advisory by United States. It is an individual problem,” he said.

The Star also reported that in Kota Kinabalu, the Royal Malaysian Navy’s Region Two Commander for Sabah and Sarawak, First Admiral Anuwi Hassan, also dismissed the involvement of the Abu Sayyaf in the latest abductions.

“This alleged abduction is believed to be an inside job. We need to remind the public and tourists that our country is safe,” he said.

The Abu Sayyaf previously kidnapped 21 mostly European and Asian holiday-makers in Sabah and brought them to the southern Philippine province of Sulu where they had been ransomed off to Libyan negotiators. The hostages include three Germans, two French, two South Africans, and two Finns, one Lebanese, nine Malaysians and a Filipino working at the Sipadan Island Resort.

The abductions came days after the United States warned their citizens from traveling to Sabah because of threats of kidnappings.

Sulu Governor Sakur Tan earlier ordered police and military to verify reports the abducted Malaysians were brought to his province.

Brigadier General Rustico Guerrero, commander of military forces in Sulu, said they had alerted soldiers in the province about the reported kidnapping of two Malaysians in Sabah.

“We are trying to verify whether the kidnapped Malaysians were brought to Tawi-Tawi or Sulu, so far there have been no confirmation yet that the hostages are in Sulu,” he said. (Mindanao Examiner)

Malaysia detains 3 Filipinos on smuggling charges

TAWI-TAWI, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / August 30, 2009) – Malaysian authorities arrested six people, three of them Filipinos, in separate anti-smuggling operations off Sabah near the southern Philippines, reports said.

Reports said Marine police intercepted a motor boat called “jongkong” off Sahabat 16 and seized 1,000 liters of petrol and hundreds of packets of cooking oil. Three people were arrested in the operation conducted on Friday.

The Malaysia’s Star Online reported that the boat had come from Sabah’s eastern coast of Lahad Datu. It said the boat was heading to the southern Philippines when police intercepted the vessel.

Assistant Superintendent Rudin Banin, Lahad Datu marine police operations commander, said those arrested were between the ages of 20 and 40.

He did not say if those detained were Filipinos or not. But in another operation, three Filipinos were also arrested for allegedly smuggling some 6,000 packs of Philippine-made fireworks worth about RM 18,000 into Sabah.

The names of the Filipinos were not made public, but reports said they were between 24 and 44 years old.

Sabah is home to many illegal Filipino workers and migrants. (Mindanao Examiner)

Smuggled South RP turtle eggs seized in Sabah

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Nov. 3, 2008) – Malaysian authorities seized thousands of endangered turtles smuggled into Sabah from the southern Philippines, report said on Monday.

It said unidentified men were unloading the eggs along the shorelines of a village called Kampung Forest when a marine police patrol spotted them late Sunday.

“The eggs, believed to have been smuggled in from neighboring southern Philippines, were found inside 20 gunnysacks,” a report by the Star Online, quoting Sandakan marine police chief Muhammad Sallam Spawi.

Authorities said the men escaped on a speedboat as the police patrol approached. It was unknown whether the men were Filipinos or not.

Turtle eggs are considered a delicacy in the southern Philippines and in Malaysia where it sell RM2.80 a piece. But turtle eggs in the Sulu Archipelago, particularly in the islands of Tawi-Tawi have been harvested on a massive scale for decades despite a government campaign regulating the number of eggs that can be collected in a nesting season.

The islands of Taganak, Lihiman, Bakungan, Langaan and Boan, including Baguan are favorite nesting grounds of Green Sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) in Tawi-Tawi, several nautical miles from the Sabah border. The areas are also favorite hunting grounds of local and foreign poachers. (Mindanao Examiner)

Malaysia deports 200 illegal Filipinos

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Oct. 27, 2008) – Malaysia has deported more than 200 illegal Filipinos arrested across the oil-rich state of Sabah, the Philippines foreign affairs said Monday.

It said a total of 221 Filipino deportees arrived by boat over the weekend in Tawi-Tawi and Sulu provinces and Zamboanga City. Among those deported were children and women, said Conrado Cabaquit, a spokesman for the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in Zamboanga City.

He said 138 deportees have disembarked in Tawi-Tawi and 30 others in Sulu and 53 more in Zamboanga City. Cabaquit said those who are planning to return and work to Malaysia should secure their passport so they can legally enter Sabah.

Cabaquit said the DFA has established a so-called “One Stop Processing Center” where Filipinos who want to travel to Sabah can secure all necessary documents.

The Philippine News Agency also reported that more than 500 undocumented Filipinos had been deported from Sabah earlier this month. Last month, some 900 illegal Filipinos were deported from Malaysia.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development in Zamboanga City said more than 9,000 undocumented Filipinos have been deported from Sabah since January up to last month. Many of those sent back home were natives of Tawi-Tawi, Sulu, Basilan provinces, all in the Muslim autonomous region and Zamboanga City and other parts of Mindanao.

And many also told tales of abuses by their Malaysian jail guards. Just early this month, a member of the Philippine Congress, Luzviminda Ilagan, accused Malaysian authorities of violating human rights of undocumented Filipinos held in various jails in Sabah, where authorities have been rounding up illegal immigrants and workers.

She said thousands of Filipinos, including women and children, are still languishing in Malaysian jails and suffering from inhumane conditions and had been deprived of their basic rights.

In July, the House of Representatives also passed a resolution calling the Committees on Overseas Workers' Affairs and the DFA to conduct an investigation into the condition of jailed Filipinos in Sabah.

Zamboanga City serves as the transit point for deportees since Malaysia began its crackdown in 2000. Hundreds of arrested Filipinos are being deported every week from Sabah and many of them had told tales of human rights abuses while in Malaysian jails.

Ilagan said the government should provide the deportees with proper housing and livelihood for them not to be tempted to leave the country again in search of a decent life.

She also urged other legislators in the lower house to take up immediate measures to protect undocumented Filipinos, most especially women and children, who face the risk of being detained and abused in Malaysian jails before they are returned to the Philippines. (With reports from Rex Montebon and Erico Rosco)

Groups Issue Joint Statement On Reports Of Rape, Sexual Abuse Of Penan Women

Joint Press Statement

NGOs' response to reports of rape, sexual abuse and exploitation of Penan girls and women by loggers.

With reference to the growing reports of rape, sexual abuse and exploitation of Penan girls and women in Sarawak, the latest of which was highlighted in the Star dated 6 October 2008, we the undersigned NGOs wish to state the following:

Despite the obvious serious nature of these allegations, the Sarawak police have not taken the issues seriously. Sarawak Police Commissioner Datuk Mohammed Salleh's insistence that a police report must be lodged first reflects poorly on the police as they can certainly take the initiative to investigate these reports without a formal police report.

The situation is worsened by Marudi district police chief Deputy Superintendent Jonathan Jalin who was reported to have said that the police have not found evidence to support the allegations but only a number of "marriages" between the workers and Penan women.

The "marriages", he claimed, were between willing parties, were accepted by the Penan elders, are of a temporary nature and will end once the workers leave for other logging areas. The police in these instances seemed to have summarily dismissed these serious allegations and have failed to take into account the vulnerability of the Penans, especially the women and girls, where the logging company and workers are concerned.

We also wish to add that in November 1994, the Penans lodged a police report listing 10 instances of abuses committed against their persons, property and lands, including the rape of a 12-year-old girl by Police Field Force personnel (PFF, now known as General Operation Force).

These were quickly dismissed by the police even before any investigation has begun, causing a serious loss of confidence in the ability of the Sarawak police to act professionally.

In 2000, a report was also made to Suhakam but similarly there was no action.

Due to the vulnerability of these girls, women and the communities as a whole, we strongly and urgently call upon the Government, in particular the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development and also Suhakam, to follow through their concerns and take these allegations seriously to set up a fact finding mission comprising respected and qualified members who will be able to conduct the fact finding independently, fairly and competently.

We further urge that proper police investigation commences as soon as possible with the Bukit Aman Police heading the investigation, as the communities affected have expressed a serious loss of confidence against the Sarawak police due to their long-standing dealings with them including in disputes with logging companies and the inaction and perpetuation of impunity in the aforesaid abuse cases.

Endorsed by:
All Women's Action Society (AWAM)
Bar Council Borneo Child Aid Society Building Workers International (BWI)
Center for Orang Asli Concerns (COAC)
Center for Policy Initiatives (CPI)
Civil Rights Committee of The Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (CRC-KLSCAH)
Council of Churches of Malaysia (CCM)
Group of Concerned Citizens Health Equity Initiatives (HEI)
Jaringan Orang Asli Semenanjung Malaysia (JOAS)
Kuala Lumpur Legal Aid Center Kumpulan ACTS Labor Resource Center (LRC)
Malaysia Social Research Institute (MSRI)
Malaysia Youth and Student Democratic Movement (DEMA)
National Human Rights Society (HAKAM)
Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM)
Penang Watch Persatuan Kesedaran Komuniti Selangor Persatuan Masyarakat Selangor dan Wilayah Persekutuan (PERMAS)
Persatuan Sahabat Wanita Selangor Pusat Kebajikan Good Shepherd Pusat Komas Research for Social Advancement (REFSA)
Rumah Nursalam Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM)
Save Ourselves (SOS!) Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM)
Tenaganita Voice of the Children Workers Organization Malaysia Women's Aid Organisation (WAO) Writers Alliance for Media Independence (WAMI)
Youth for Change (Y4C)

Malaysia accused of violating rights of Filipino workers in Sabah

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Oct. 4, 2008) - The Fact-Finding Committee on Sabah Deportees expressed concern over the serious human rights violations allegedly committed by Malaysian authorities against illegal Filipino workers in the oil-rich state being claimed by the Philippines.

Rep. Luzviminda Ilagan said they uncovered the abuses after the fact-finding committee held an inquiry in August in Sabah, where authorities have been rounding up illegal immigrants and undocumented workers.

She said thousands of Filipinos, including women and children, are still languishing in Malaysian jails and suffering from inhumane conditions and had been deprived of their basic rights.

“Filipino detainees and those who were already deported to the Philippines have experienced severe beatings from Malaysian police while under detention,” she told reporters in a news conference here Saturday.

The Fact Finding Committee is composed of the Association for the Rights of Children in South East Asia, Migrante International, and Gabriela Women’s Party and formed to conduct investigation on the reported human rights abuses against undocumented Filipino workers and immigrants in Sabah.

Last July, the House of Representatives passed a resolution calling the Committees on Overseas Workers’ Affairs and Foreign Affairs to conduct an investigation into the human reports in Sabah.

Zamboanga City serves as the transit point for deportees since Malaysia began its crackdown in 2000. Hundreds of arrested Filipinos are being deported every week from Sabah and many of them had told tales of human rights abuses while in Malaysian jails.

Ilagan said the government should provide the deportees with proper housing and livelihood for them not to be tempted to leave the country again in search of a decent life.

She also urged other legislators in the lower house to take up immediate measures to protect undocumented Filipinos, most especially women and children, who face the risk of being detained and abused in Malaysian jails before they are returned to the Philippines. (Erico Rosco)

Malaysia Deports More Filipino Workers

Filipino deportees queue for food at a government shelter Sunday, July 20, 2008 in the southern Philippine port city of Zamboanga. Malaysia has deported more than 7,000 illegal Filipinos since January this year and the crackdown still continues in the oil-rich state of Sabah, which is also being claimed by the Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / July 20, 2008) – More than 300 illegal Filipinos arrested in Sabah arrived in the southern Philippine port city of Zamboanga as Malaysia continued its crackdown on undocumented workers in the oil-rich state.

The deportees arrived by boat late Saturday afternoon from Sandakan City. They were herded on trucks and brought to a government refugee shelter. The deportees, mostly from Sulu, Basilan and Tawi-Tawi provinces, all in the Muslim autonomous region, would be sent back to their home after social workers gather information about them.

Malaysia also deported thousands of illegal Filipino workers since early this year. Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Hajji Aman has repeatedly appealed to Manila to speed up the repatriation of many illegal Filipino workers detained in jails, but so far nothing had been done to bring them back.

Tens of thousands of illegal Filipinos have been arrested in Sabah the past years and many of them had illegally crossed Sabah by boat from Tawi-Tawi to work in construction sites.

Philippine authorities were helpless in putting a stop to the illegal border crossing. Many boat operators in Tawi-Tawi continue to sneak into Sabah, bringing dozens of Filipinos to find work. Worse, some Malaysian policemen in Semporna and Tawau towns intercept Filipino outriggers to collect money to collect bribes from boat operators and passengers in exchange for a passage, said Abdullah.

He said operators of boats called “temper of kumpit” usually charge between P2,000 to P3,000 for each Filipino passenger illegally entering Sabah, many of them were without travel documents, but had relatives also illegally working on the island.

Many Filipinos also crossed Sabah, just 27 nautical miles from Tawi-Tawi’s Sitangkai town, as tourists but never return back only to be arrested later by immigration authorities. “Life is really difficult in Sabah, but it is harder in the Philippines because there is no job for me, for us Muslim. In Sabah, there is always an opportunity to find a job in palm plantations or in constructions sites,” the deportee said.

Malaysia began a crackdown on up to 500,000 illegal foreign workers since 2005 and police and immigration authorities and volunteer squads have been conducting searches that extended from construction sites in Kuala Lumpur to oil palm plantations in Sabah.

The Philippines’ Foreign Affairs said as many as 300 illegal Filipinos are being deported from Malaysia every week. Since January this year, more than 7,000 illegal Filipinos had been deported to the Philippines.

Kuala Lumpur had previously given amnesty that allowed illegal immigrants to leave the country with a promise they could return as legal workers once they received proper documents.

The government's tough action has enjoyed popular support in Malaysia, where illegal workers, who had numbered more than a million in a country of 24 million people, have been blamed for crime and other social ills.Malaysia said the illegal workers do not pay tax and put a heavy burden on state services, such as education and health care, increasing pressure on an already high budget deficit.

Some Filipino deportees said they were herded into overcrowded detention camps before being expelled and others reported tales of abuses inside Malaysian jails.

Filipino lawmaker Luzviminda Ilagan said many of those deported to Zamboanga City had suffered inhumane treatment in Malaysian jails. She urged Manila to look into the poor condition of Filipinos languishing in jails in Malaysia and to take immediate steps to help them. "There were complaints from the deported Filipinos that they were held in poorly maintained jails, not given enough food, and not provided proper health care,” she said.

Filipino Muslims who were deported said they had been forced to work illegally in Sabah because the Philippine government and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao failed to provide them livelihood opportunities back home.

Many also decried the discrimination in Zamboanga City where Christian employers flatly reject Muslim job seekers for fear they are criminals or had relatives in the Abu Sayyaf and other rebel groups. The discrimination, they said, was heightened after the 9/11 al-Qaeda attacks on the United States. (Mindanao Examiner)

Malaysia Furious Over Renewed RP Claims On Sabah

COTABATO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / May 27, 2008) – A senior Malaysian politician furious over a renewed Philippine claims on Sabah have called for a stricter laws on Filipinos traveling to the oil-rich state.

Sabah Progressive Party president Datuk Yong Teck Lee said the National Security Council should closely watch developments in the southern Philippines with the collapse of the Moro peace deal and release of former rebel leader Nur Misuari, the Malaysian’s Star reported.

Lee said the withdrawal last month of the Malaysian truce observers from Mindanao was a clear indication of the failure of the peace process involving the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

“Further worries included the rumblings from freed rebel Nur Misuari over the Philippines’ claim to Sabah and the re-grouping of the Moro National Liberation Front,” the Star said.

Misuari, who was ousted as MNLF chairman by Muslimin Sema, the Front’s Secretary General, wanted the International Court of Justice to settle the Philippine claims on Sabah if Malaysia fails to resolve the issue.

Lee said the NSC and the Sabah State Security Committee should act on the problems brought about by the failure of the peace process and Misuari’s revival of the Sabah claims.

“All these warrant the immediate attention of the National Security Council in Putrajaya and the Sabah State Security Committee,” he said.

He also urged Kuala Lumpur to suspend the ferry service between Zamboanga and Sandakan. “Malaysia can also suspend the Zamboanga-Sandakan ferry service, impose bonds on incoming visitors, require ferry passengers to have return tickets and step up enforcement at all levels of government,” he said.

The Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo lays claim to Sabah. The Sultanate of Sulu was a Muslim state that ruled over much of the islands off the Sulu Sea. It stretches from a part of the island of Mindanao in the east, to North Borneo, now known as Sabah, in the west and south, and to Palawan, in the north.

The Sultanate of Sulu was founded in 1457 and is believed to exist as a sovereign nation for at least 442 years. The Sultanate of Sulu obtained Sabah from Brunei as a gift for helping put down a rebellion on the Borneo Island.

The British leased Sabah and transferred control over the territory to Malaysia after the end of Second World War. Even after Borneo became part of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur still pays an annual rent of 5,000 ringgit to the heirs of the Sultan of Sulu Ismail Kiram.

Misuari said what Malaysia pays to the Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo is but a pittance.

The MNLF, under Misuari, signed a peace deal with Manila in September 1996 ending more than three decades of bloody fighting in the southern Philippines, and accepted a limited autonomy over four Muslim provinces – Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi and Maguindanao that were later expanded into 5 provinces with Maguindanao as an addition and now has become six with the inclusion of Shariff Kabunsuan.

Misuari later became governor or the Muslim autonomous region, but later accused the government of failing to honor the peace agreement, and his forces attacked major military bases and held civilians hostage in Sulu province and Zamboanga City in November 2001.

He fled to Sabah, his former refuge, but was arrested by Malaysian authorities and sent back to Manila where he is now facing rebellion charges and currently out on bail.

Sema said the issue on Sabah has been a long irritant between the Philippines and Malaysia and he appealed to Misuari not to use this to stir restlessness among local Muslims in Mindanao.

“This has been a very old issue and we don’t want to strain our good relations with Malaysia at the expense of everybody. The Philippines has in the past approached this old issue with diplomacy and respect to maintain good bilateral relations with Malaysia and we wanted this to continue,” Sema told the Mindanao Examiner. (Mindanao Examiner)

Malaysia Tells Manila To Get Back Detained Illegal Pinoy Workers

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Jan. 13, 2008) – Malaysia has told the Philippines to speed up the repatriation of illegal Filipino workers detained in jails.

Sabah’s Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Hajji Aman told Filipino lawmakers who visited the oil-rich Malaysian state to expedite the return of the Filipinos, according to the Malaysian Daily Express.

It said many Filipinos have been languishing in jails in Sabah, just a few hundred miles from the southern Philippine province of Tawi-Tawi.

“This has been a longstanding issue that we in Sabah have been dealing with. I once again request the Philippine authorities to expedite the documentation of their nationals so that they can be repatriated to their country of origin," the Minister, who is also the chairman of the State Security Council, said.

He told the Philippine congressional delegation led by Rep. Nur Jaafar, of Tawi-Tawi, about the problems on illegal immigrants, and the need for Manila to fast track the immigrants' documentation for their immediate deportation. “We don’t want the social problems that usually come along with the presence of illegal immigrants," the Minister said.
Jaafar was accompanied by Reps. Yusop Jikiri, of Sulu province and Filipino Ambassador to Malaysia Victoriano Lecaros.

In September, Malaysian authorities arrested dozens of Filipinos for illegally entering northern Sabah.

Police arrested 84 people, including 17 children, after they were intercepted in two boats during a special three-day operation at the Sungai Kanibungan river mouth in Sabah's northern Pitas district.

Malaysian authorities also seized from one of the Filipino skippers of the boats 5,500 turtle eggs and 335 boxes of cigarettes believed smuggled from the Philippines. With the arrest, police said it uncovered a new landing point for illegal immigrants in northern Sabah.

Tens of thousands of illegal Filipinos have been arrested in Sabah the past years and many of them had illegally crossed the oil-rich Malaysian state by boat from Tawi-Tawi island to work in construction sites despite a strict government campaign.

Others were duped by illegal recruiters who promised them work in hotels and resorts in Malaysia, but ended up without jobs and money and had been forced to work in palm oil plantations under constant fear of being arrested.

Malaysia began a crackdown on up to 500,000 illegal foreign workers since 2005 and conducting searches that extended from construction sites in Kuala Lumpur to oil palm plantations in Sabah. The round-up usually involved police, immigration and volunteer squads.

Kuala Lumpur had previously given amnesty that allowed illegal immigrants to leave the country with a promise they could return as legal workers once they received proper documents. The government's tough action has enjoyed popular support in Malaysia, where illegal workers, who had numbered more than a million in a country of 24 million people, have been blamed for crime and other social ills.

Malaysia said the illegal workers do not pay tax and put a heavy burden on state services, such as education and health care, increasing pressure on an already high budget deficit. Some Filipino deportees said they were herded into overcrowded detention camps before being expelled and others reported tales of abuses inside Malaysian jails.

Many of those deported ended up in temporary government shelters in Zamboanga City in Mindanao where they are given money so they return to their place of origin. (With reports from Nickee Butlangan and Ely Dumaboc)

Malaysia Detains 84 Filipinos In Sabah

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / 19 Sept) – Malaysian authorities arrested dozens of Filipinos for illegally entering northern Sabah, reports said on Wednesday.

Police arrested 84 people, including 17 children, after they were intercepted in two boats during a special three-day operation at the Sungai Kanibungan river mouth in Sabah's northern Pitas district, Malaysia’s The Star reported.

It said police also seized from one of the Filipino skippers of the boats 5,500 turtle eggs and 335 boxes of cigarettes believed smuggled from the Philippines.
With the arrest, police said it uncovered a new landing point for illegal immigrants in northern Sabah.

“They have come into a very remote area to avoid detection,” said Deputy Superintendent Mohd Isa Yusoff, chief of the Kota Marudu police force.

Tens of thousands of illegal Filipinos have been arrested in Sabah the past years and many of them had illegally crossed the oil-rich Malaysian state by boat from Tawi-Tawi island to work in construction sites despite a strict government campaign.

Others were duped by illegal recruiters who promised them work in hotels and resorts in Malaysia, but ended up without jobs and money and had been forced to work in palm oil plantations under constant fear of being arrested.

Malaysia began a crackdown on up to 500,000 illegal foreign workers since 2005 and conducting searches that extended from construction sites in Kuala Lumpur to oil palm plantations in Sabah. The round-up usually involved police, immigration and volunteer squads.

Kuala Lumpur had previously given amnesty that allowed illegal immigrants to leave the country with a promise they could return as legal workers once they received proper documents. The government's tough action has enjoyed popular support in Malaysia, where illegal workers, who had numbered more than a million in a country of 24 million people, have been blamed for crime and other social ills.

Malaysia said the illegal workers do not pay tax and put a heavy burden on state services, such as education and health care, increasing pressure on an already high budget deficit. Some Filipino deportees said they were herded into overcrowded detention camps before being expelled and others reported tales of abuses inside Malaysian jails. (Mindanao Examiner)

Pinoy Patungong Sabah, Binalaan!

ZAMBOANGA CITY (Mindanao Examiner / 21 Mar) – Nagbabala ang awtoridad kahapon laban sa mga nagnanais na pumasok ng illegal sa Sabah, Malaysia na kung saan ay matindi ang crack down sa mga walang dokumento at papeles.

Ilang ulit na rin nagbigay ng babala ang Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) ukol sa pagpasok sa Sbah ng mga Pinoy na walang papeles o passport. Talamak ang tawiran mula sa lalawigan ng Tawi-Tawi patungong Sabah sa kabila ng mahigpit na kampanya ng Philippine Navy.

Nuong Sabado lamang ay mahigit sa 300 mga Pinoy na dinakip sa Sabah ang dumating sa Zamboanga City. Mahigit na rin 2,000 ang ma illegal na Pinoy ang pinabalik sa bansa mula pa ng Enero, ayon sa Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) sa Zamboanga City.

Sinabi ni local DSWD spokesperson Fe Dela Cruz na nasa mabuting kalagayan umano ang huling batch ng mga deportees. Batay sa record ng DSWD ay 232 sa mga dumating ay kalalakihan. Hindi naman nabatid kung ilan ang babae at bata sa nasabing grupo.

Agad naman silang binigyan ng tulong ng DSWD at pinabalik na rin umano ang ibagng mga deportees sa kani-kanilang lugar at karamihan ay mga Muslim na nanggaling sa Basilan, Sulu at Tawi-Tawi.

Nanawagan ang DFA sa mga nais na magtungo sa Sabah na kumuha ng passport at iba pang mga dokumento upang maiwasan ang anumang problema. Mahigpit ang sa Malaysia sa kasalukuyan dahil sa dami ng mga ilegal doon, bukod sa Pinoy ay may mga Indian at Thailander sa nasabing bansa.

Karamihan sa mga deportees ay walang papeles at nagtungo ng ilegal sa Sabah upang doon makipagsapalaran. Hirap umano ang buhay sa Basilan, Sulu at Tawi-Tawi at walang kasuguhan sa kinabukasan ng kanilang pamilya. (Mindanao Examiner)

Zambo Paboritong Investment Destination

ZAMBOANGA CITY (Mindanao Examiner / 04 Mar) – Patuloy na pumapayagpag ang Zamboanga City matapos na dalawang Malaysian airlines ang sinasabing magbubukas ng biyahe mula Sabah.

Paborableng klima sa negosyo at gumagandang peace and order situation sa Zamboanga City at Mindanao ang dahilan kung bakit naisipan magbukas ng ruta dito and Air Asia at Malaysian Airlines.

Bagamat hindi agad mabatid ang takdang petsa ng pagbubukas ng mga ruta ay ikinatuwa na ito ng maraming opisyal ng pamahalaan sa Zamboanga. Patunay umano ang pagdagsa ng mga dayuhang negosyo sa Zamboanga ang malaking pagbabago sa pangkalahatang sitwasyon sa Mindanao.

Nabatid pang ang introductory ticket ng Sabah-Zamboanga flight ng Malaysian Airline ay $50 (P2,400) lamang. Mataas pa umano ang singil ng Philippine Air Lines, Cebu Pacific at Air Philippines sa kanilang Zamboanga-Manila flight na aabot sa mahigit P4,500.

Naunang nagbukas sa Zamboanga nuong nakaraang taon ang Mosphil, isang Russian-Filipino airliner, na bumibiyahe mula dito at Sabah. (Mindanao Examiner)

Malaysia Deports Undocumented Filipinos

ZAMBOANGA CITY (Mindanao Examiner / 10 Feb) - Some 300 illegal Filipinos arrested in Malaysia had arrived Saturday in Zamboanga City in the southern Philippines after spending several months in jail.

Many of those arrested had illegally crossed Sabah by boat from Tawi-Tawi province to work in construction sites.

Others were duped by illegal recruiters who promised them work in hotels and resorts in Malaysia, but ended up without jobs and money and had been forced to work in palm oil plantations under constant fear of being arrested.

Last week, more than 270 illegal Filipinos were also deported here as Malaysia continued its crackdown on foreigners staying illegally in the oil-rich state, just 4 hours by boat from the Filipino island of Sitangkay off Tawi-Tawi province.

Malaysia began a crackdown on up to 500,000 illegal foreign workers since 2005 conducting searches that extended from construction sites in Kuala Lumpur to oil palm plantations in Sabah. The round-up usually involved police, immigration and volunteer squads.

Many of the deportees were Muslims from the southern Philippines who had lived for years in Sabah.

The Malaysian government had previously given amnesty that allowed illegal immigrants to leave the country with a promise they could return as legal workers once they received proper documents.

The government's tough action has enjoyed popular support in Malaysia, where illegal workers, who had numbered more than a million in a country of 24 million people, have been blamed for crime and other social ills.

Kuala Lumpur said the illegal workers do not pay tax and put a heavy burden on state services, such as education and health care, increasing pressure on an already high budget deficit.

Some Filipino deportees said they were herded into overcrowded detention camps before being expelled and others reported tales of abuses inside Malaysian jails. (Mindanao Examiner)