KUCHING: Sarawak’s immigration autonomy should be protected and not be eroded further legally or administratively.
Santubong Member of Parliament Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said it was the stand of Gabungan Parti Sarawak to protect Sarawak’s land and borders on land, onshore and offshore.
“The protection and control of immigration are not only symbolic but come under the laws and specified under the Constitution and the Malaysia’s Agreement 1963(MA63). It is one of the pillars of Sarawak’s continued existence in the Federation of Malaysia,” he said.
Wan Junaidi said this in response to a recent statement made by Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Jemut Masing who warned Sarawak against the One Malaysia concept suggested by Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad as it could see the removal of the use of passports to enter Sarawak.
“The abolishment of immigration autonomy cannot be done unilaterally by Kuala Lumpur or by anyone without Sarawak’s consent.
“Now it depends on the people of Sarawak; they must determine whether to elect a group which wants to erode the autonomy of Sarawak or a group like GPS which is a strong protector of Sarawak,” he said.
Touching on the One Malaysia concept by former Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, Wan Junaidi, who is a veteran lawmaker, said the concept was about integration of people of all races.
“This took into consideration the situation at that time, particularly, in Malaya. Najib was worried about over-politicking in the Peninsula that caused racial disintegration in Malaysia,” he pointed out.
Under Najib’s 1Malaysia concept, Wan Junaidi said Sarawak and Sabah integration was on different matters because the former Prime Minister always considered racial integration in Sarawak and Sabah as the model that every Malaysian ought to emulate.
“So, the 1Malaysia concept by Najib had nothing to do with the immigration right of Sarawak.”
