Sabah migrants to GMA: ‘Do something about our plight’

SANDAKAN, Malaysia — Filipino migrants in the East Malaysian state of Sabah are asking President Arroyo to do something about their plight as the massive crackdown against illegal immigrants in the area continues.

"This is an appeal to the President. Please tell our Philippine government to ask the Malaysian authorities to stop the operations against the Filipinos in Sabah," Hadji Mucer, 50, a leader of the over 2,000 Filipino merchants in the Senturan Complex in Kota Kinabalu told The STAR.

Mucer asked Mrs. Arroyo to immediately address their problem as thousands of these Filipino migrants continue to live in fear in this Malaysian state nearest to the westernmost parts of the country. He asked that the government should confer with Malaysian officials on how the illegal Filipino migrants can continue to work and stay longer in Sabah.

"Government should find ways on how these problems can be solved. The two governments should talk. Our government, in particular, should come up with solutions," he added.

Mucer admitted that thousands of illegal Filipino migrants are still hiding in various parts of East Malaysia, evading police who have intensified the check on foreigners in Sabah. Mucer also criticized the Filipino consulate officials who have been temporarily deployed in Kota Kinabalu to facilitate the processing of the deportation of those arrested illegal migrants.

"These consulate officials are useless. All they do is collect the 120 Malaysian Ringgit for the processing of an "exit pass" which we could use on our return to the Philippines. Other than that, these officials do nothing else. They do not care for us Filipinos here," Mucer told The STAR.

Over 30,000 Filipinos are believed to have illegally sneaked into Sabah by taking pump boats from any of the border islands in Jolo and Tawi-Tawi "to look for greener pasture."