KOTA KINABALU, March 10 — DAP’s Lim Kit Siang today expressed “utter shock” that Tan Sri Joseph Pairin is turning to the public and soliciting for ideas on how to tackle Sabah’s entrenched issue with illegal immigrants.

Pointing out that Pairin is a long-time campaigner on the issue and acutely familiar with both its intricacies and possible solutions, Lim then asked why it was still necessary for the former to delay implementing reforms to address the problem.

“If there is anyone in Sabah and Malaysia who has the most experience with the nightmare of illegal immigrants in Sabah, associating both his political rise and fall because of this one issue, it is Pairin himself .

“I do not think there is any politician who has signed and sent more memorandums, representation and reports on solutions to the problem of illegal immigrants to the federal government in the past four decades,” said Lim in a statement here today.

Pairin, who is Parti Bersatu Sabah president, was verbally appointed chairman of the committee by the Prime Minister late last year, put in charge of analysing the Royal Commission of Inquiry report and proposing an action plan for a main committee overseeing the matter.

Lim said with 30 years as PBS president, his position as Huguan Siou or paramount leader of the Kadazandusun and Murut community, 10 years as chief minister, eight more as deputy chief minister and the chairmanship of the working committee, Pairin has all he needs to resolve the issue.

“What proposals does Pairin want with regard to the solution to Sabah’s illegal immigrants nightmare which he had not himself proposed over four decades of active political leadership?” the Gelang Patah MP asked.

Lim said the crux of the matter was not in the dearth of solutions but the lack of political will to eradicate the problem, and urged Pairin to use his position for one final act of service – ensuring the political mechanism that will rid the state of the problem.

“Otherwise, the RCI and his appointment as the working committee chairman are only the latest sleight-of-hand and  trickeries of those in authority, whether in Putrajaya or Kota Kinabalu, to delude Sabahans into thinking that the problem of illegal immigrants is being resolved, when nothing of the sort is being done as in the past four decades and more,” he said.

Pairin’s committee has so far met twice this year and will have monthly meetings before finalising the action plan by this year.

Lim added that he has written to Pairin to invite him to a forum entitled “How many are REAL Sabahans – Report on the RCI Report on Illegal Immigrants in Sabah” in Kuala Lumpur next Monday, March 16 to present his action plan.

Other panelists include former senator Dr. Chong Eng Leong, and PKR vice chairman Rafizi Ramli.