Malaysia seeks RI, RP's help

Malaysia seeks RI, RP's help

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia will seek cooperation from neighboring
Indonesia and the Philippines to stem the flow of illegal
immigrants into the country, following a recent mass deportation
exercise, a junior minister said Saturday.

"We will request Indonesia and the Philippines to beef up
security, especially in waters off Sabah," Deputy Defense
Minister Mohamed Shafie Apdal was quoted as saying by Bernama
news agency.

Eastern Sabah state on Borneo island shares a land and sea
border with the two Southeast Asian countries.

Mohamed said the measures were to prevent deported illegal
immigrants from sneaking back into Malaysia through their common
border.

Malaysian security forces have been placed on alert and
surveillance aircraft have been deployed to prevent border
intrusions, the minister said.

"I've just returned from inspection of several locations in
Sabah and the situation is fully under control. Our personnel
have been stationed at strategic locations," he said in the
northern state of Perak. -- AFP