Kota Kinabalu: Former Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) Supreme Council member, Dr Chong Eng Leong, has proposed that Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak be replaced by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Tan Sri Bernard Dompok to head the Federal Cabinet Committee on Illegal Immigrants in Sabah.Dr Chong believed that Najib may not be in a proper frame of mind to chair the committee due to various events the past few days. "More so when Sabah's illegal immigrats problem is in a critical situation."
Dr Chong said in a statement Saturday that the Deputy Prime Minister had, in 2000, stated the illegal immigrant situation in Sabah was serious, and that he also made similar statements in 2005 and in 2006.
A Federal Cabinet Committee on Illegal Immigrants in Sabah was then formed in 2006 and chaired by Najib with only one meeting held that decided the setting up of a special court to deal with illegal immigrant cases but so far nothing came out of all these.
Dr Chong, who recently quit PBS claiming that PBS was not what it used to be, said the formation of the same committee was again announced by the Prime Minister last month.
This time Najib chaired one meeting last week upon which a decision was made to conduct a massive operation to flush out illegal immigrants in Sabah.
"We have a policy not to allow wives and children accompany legal foreign workers coming to work in Sabah and existing workers in Sabah have to send their dependants back before renewal of work permit is approved.
"But Najib approved Indonesian plantation workers' children to be provided with schools," he said.
He noted that Najib was currently preoccupied with fighting off allegations over the controversy surrounding the murder of Mongolian model Altantuya that has seen a flurry of action involving Statutory Declarations.
At the same time, Umno elections at division level would start in a week's time until the December finale, while Pakatan Rakyat keeps piling pressure on the Government.
"With all above, I do not think Najib is in a proper frame of mind to head the committee. I propose that Dompok replace him," he said.
DAILY EXPRESS NEWS
Sabah
08/07/08
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