MP Wants Refugees With Malaysian Citizenship To Vacate Settlement

LABUAN, Aug 1 (Bernama) -- Refugees at the Kiansam refugee settlement here who have been accorded Malaysian citizenship, should look for dwelling elsewhere, Labuan Member of Parliament Datuk Yussof Mahal said. He said this was because such people could no longer be considered or referred to as refugees. Yussof urged the Home Ministry to check out the area and verify claims that refugees with IMM13 (travel document for refugees) had received Malaysian citizenship papers. "If they have been given citizenship, they should leave the refugee settlement and look for other suitable places to stay. This will ease the job of authorities to check on paperless immigrants," he said. Yussof also said he had directed all 27 villages on the island to assist the government in getting rid of new communes set up by illegal immigrants. He said village heads were duty bound to maintain peace and security in their respective areas, and they should not allow the mushrooming of aliens in their villages. Yussof, who is Labuan Corporation chairman, noted that it was unlawful to allow illegal immigrants to build illegal structures in the villages, and action could be taken against anyone harbouring illegal immigrants. -- BERNAMA