KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 22 — A total of 5,392 foreigners are languishing in detention centres in Sabah for illegally entering the state, the Dewan Rakyat heard today.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim said out of that number, 303 detainees comprising Indonesians, would be deported tomorrow (Thursday) via Tawau.

"A majority of foreigners detained are from Indonesia and the Philippines where some of them had entered the state illegally, and some had over stayed and committed other offences,” he said in reply to a question from Datuk Jumaat Idris (BN-Sepanggar) who wanted to know the number of foreigners who entered Sabah in 2016.

Shahidan said from 1990 to Nov 21 (yesterday), a total of 563,162 foreigners were deported from Sabah for entering the state illegally. — Bernama