Thread: Suluks to be deported

Suluks to be deported

by Mohamad Abdullah, reporters@theborneopost.com.
Posted on June 15, 2015, Monday

A section of the illegal Suluk immigrants who surrendered themselves at Kampung Lereng Bukit last April.

MIRI: All the 500 Suluks who overstayed here and voluntarily wanting to return to Southern Philippines will be shipped out on KD Mahawangsa, a Malaysian Navy vessel, this week.

Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Miri chief First Admiral Abin Sunggom said all the Suluks who surrendered to the Immigration Department recently in Miri would be deported in two stages by sea on June 17 and June 21.

“Immigration Department is heading the task in sending home these illegals to the Philippines, assisted by MMEA and the navy,” he told The Borneo Post yesterday.

On Friday, the MMEA had a meeting with the Immigration Department which chaired the deportation process with the relevant authorities.

According to Abin, MMEA assistance was needed by the Immigration Department to transport the illegal foreigners from Miri City to KD Mahawangsa that is currently berthed off Miri waters. He said the process of sending the foreigners would be undertaken by the Immigration Department after they are transferred from the MMEA vessel from Miri.

The first trip on June 17 would take 250 of the illegal immigrants and the same number would be taken on June 21.
“All the relevant parties involved are ensuring a safe passage for them to return to their country of origin,” he disclosed further.

The illegal Suluk immigrants were discovered staying and working in Miri after local fishermen alerted Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem of their presence here which jeopardised the fishing industry on March 11.

The Suluks were reported to be aggressive and did not comply with the fishing methods permitted by the Malaysian Fishery Department by using fish bombs and poison.

Integrated operations headed by the Immigration Department, police, General Operations Force, Rela, Land and Survey and Sarawak Energy Berhad on land and MMEA, Marine Fisheries Department and Marine Police at sea to catch the illegal immigrants were conducted the last two months.

On March 19, 155 illegals mainly Suluks and Bajaus were arrested at two squatter colonies in Batu Satu Lutong and near Pujut 7 bridge.

On April 17, 30 illegals including 11 Suluks and a Bajau were arrested at construction sites in Senadin and Lutong. MMEA also arrested 12 Filipino fishermen and seized a fishing vessel found catching fish near Tukau platform, 16 nautical miles from Lutong beach on April 13.

Two full trays of ‘Sulit’ fish worth thousands of ringgit, diving gear and spears were also seized inside the Labuan registered vessel.

On April 19, 67 Filipinos from Southern Philippines were arrested by Immigration Department at two double storey semi-detached houses in Pujut 1 at 1.00am in their bid to hide and escape from continuous integrated operations to curb the influx of illegal immigrants into Miri city.

In another arrest, 15 Indonesians were rounded up by the same raiding party at Pujut 6 at 2am the same day.

Immigration enforcement chief, Gary Belayong John Siki, said all the 66 Filipinos comprising 55 Suluks, seven Bajaus and four Yakans were found taking shelter at the two double-storey detached houses.

“All were Filipinos from Southern Philippines and most of them were without any proper documents in the first raid,” he said.

The sending-off of all the Suluk illegal immigrants back to the Philippines will end the episode of Suluks invading Miri City and clear away all the doubts on the state government and its relevant agencies in curbing influx of illegal immigrants into the state.

Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2015/06...#ixzz3d4F2F5Tr

The Tausūg or Suluk people are an ethnic group of the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia. The Tausūg are part of the wider political identity of Muslims of Mindanao, Sulu and Palawan known as the Moro ethnic group, who constitute the third largest ethnic group of Mindanao, Sulu and Palawan.^{[citation needed]} They originally had an independent state known as the Sulu Sultanate, which once exercised sovereignty over the present day provinces of Basilan, Palawan,Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, the eastern part of the Malaysian state of Sabah (formerly North Borneo) and North Kalimantan in Indonesia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taus%C5%ABg_people

Second batch of Filipinos deported

by Yunus Yussop, Reporters@theborneopost.com.
Posted on June 24, 2015, Wednesday

Immigration officers carry two babies on board the ship.

BINTULU: The second batch of illegal immigrants from Southern Philippines, including 38 babies and 69 children, were deported from Bintulu Port at 2pm yesterday.

The 260 Suluks and Bajaus— aged between five days and 63 years — who were in Miri illegally, left on board the Royal Malaysian Navy (TLDM) ship KD Mahawangsa.

State Immigration Department enforcement chief Garry Belayong John Sikie said the deportees were expected to reach the TLDM port in Sabah tomorrow (June 25).

They would then travel by ferry to Zamboanga in the Philippines.

“For the time being, we are still waiting for an order by the top management of the Immigration Department for the third deportation trip,” said Garry.

He said the Sabah Immigration Department has reported that the first batch of 253 deportees were sent back to Zamboanga yesterday (June 23).

“For this trip, we are still in negotiations with a ferry in Sandakan and they are expected to be deported home to Zamboanga on Tuesday next week,” he added.

A total of 23 Immigration officers and three medical staff, including a doctor, are on board the TLDM ship to ensure a smooth deportation process.

On the total number of illegal immigrants from the Philippines recorded in Miri, Garry said to-date 780 Suluks and Bajaus have been given travel documents by the Philippines Embassy for deportation.

“This is an ongoing effort by the state government to send illegal immigrants back to their country and it is through cooperation between the state government and other relevant enforcement agencies.

“Today we are being assisted by Bintulu Fire and Rescue Department, Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency and the People’s Volunteer Corps,” he said.

He pointed out that some of the illegal immigrants have been in Miri since the 1980s and they work in various sectors.

“On behalf of the Immigration director-general and state director, I would like to thank all agencies involved, especially the state government and Bintulu Port, including the army for providing two trips of transportation from Miri and overall the operation has been carried out smoothly.

“We also received good cooperation from these illegal immigrants during the deportation exercise,” said Garry.

The illegal immigrants were among those who voluntarily surrendered for deportation.

Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2015/06...#ixzz3duu0UMtC