RP-Malaysia pact to curb immigrants

RP-Malaysia pact to curb immigrants

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Malaysia's eastern Sabah state welcomed yesterday a peace treaty between the Philippine government and Moslem separatists, saying it will help lower the state's 500,000-strong immigrant population, an official said.

"The illegal immigrant problem is the single most problematic issue in Sabah that has haunted successive (state) governments," said Yong Teck Lee, chief minister of the resource-rich Sabah state.

However he was optimistic the treaty would see some illegal Filipino immigrants gradually returning to the southern Philippines as the economy improves through greater foreign investments.

Yong told a news conference in Kuala Lumpur yesterday, that of Sabah's 1.8-million population, about 500,000 were illegal Filipino and Indonesian immigrants. The state has the largest number of illegal immigrants in Malaysia.