KOTA KINABALU, April 6 — The Cabinet has approved the restructuring of the Committee on the Management of Foreign Nationals in Sabah (JKPWS) to address the issue of the residents’ identification documentation, said Home Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

He said the first meeting with Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal pertaining to the committee would be held in the near future.

"I met with Chief Minister (Mohd Shafie) this morning and we have discussed to hold the meeting in the near future. One of the issues to be discussed is how to streamline the management of foreigners in Sabah as this problem has long been taking place in the state.

"During a meeting we also discussed how to improve the cooperation between the state and federal governments especially in relation to the security and well-being of the Sabahans,” he said.

He was speaking to reporters after a get-together with Home Ministry’s staff, agencies and departments in conjunction with his working visit to Sabah today.

Muhyiddin said with the approval to restructure the JKPWS, the Immigration Department and the National Registration Department would have bigger responsibilities in dealing with the issue of illegal immigrants as well as looking for the best solution to address the problem.

Meanwhile, he said, the Sabah National Registration Department (NRD) would ask the villages’ chiefs across the state to voluntarily report on the births and deaths in their respective areas.

"Birth and death must be recorded so that no further problems arise such as stateless individuals and so on.

"I also ask the Sabahans who face problems registering to inform the nearest NRD offices so that the problem can be solved the best possible way,” he said. — Bernama