Malaysia to sort out illegal migration issues with ARMM

COTABATO CITY, Philippines—Kuala Lumpur has agreed in principle to work with the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao to address the growing problem of illegal migrant workers in  Sabah, ARMM officials said.

Naguib Sinarimbo, ARMM executive secretary, said that during a meeting of an eight-man team he headed with Malaysian Parliament Speaker Seri Utama Pandikar Amin Bin Haji Mulia in Sabah last week, they agreed to resolve or minimize the problem through cooperation.

“It was an opportunity for us to relay to Malaysian authorities our desire to trigger a non-political solution to the cycle of arrest and deportation involving Filipinos who were considered to have sneaked illegally to Malaysia,” Sinarimbo said.

An ARMM official, who wished to remain anonymous for lack of authority to speak on the matter, said that for many of those coming from the Moro areas of Western Mindanao, traveling to or working in Sabah was far from  illegal.

The territory, which Malaysia and the Philippines have claims to, is considered—especially by Tausugs of Sulu—as part of their sultanate’s jurisdiction, the official said.

A report furnished by Ministry of Human Resources (MOHR) Deputy Minister Maznah Mazlan, Sinarimbo said, showed there were only 35,338 documented Filipino workers in Sabah.

On July 30, the authorities in Tawi-Tawi reported holding 16 women suspected of being victims of human trafficking just as they were about to leave the port of Bongao  for Sabah.

The incident, authorities said, proved that the problem of “halaws” or illegal immigrants was increasing.

Senior Superintendent Rodelio Jocson, Tawi-Tawi police chief, said police authorities boarded and inspected MV Trishia Kirstine after receiving information that some women passengers were actually on their way to Sabah.

“We immediately alerted our team, the Tawi-Tawi Anti Trafficking in Persons Task Group and as soon as the boat docked at the Bongao wharf, we conducted inspection and saved 16 women with ages ranging from 20 to 24 years old,” Jocson told the Inquirer by phone.

He said based on initial investigation, the women were promised by a still unidentified recruiter  work in Malaysia as domestic helpers.

“But the women didn’t have any working document to show, only an electronic ticket provided by their recruiter, whom they met through a social networking site,” Jocson said.

He said he had coordinated with the anti-trafficking task force through Assistant City Prosecutor Darlene Pajarito “and all the women had been turned over to the Visayan Forum,” a non-government organization fighting trafficking in persons.

The rescue of the women was the second in Tawi-Tawi in July alone.

On July 15, some 21 victims—19 females and two males— were also rescued in Bongao and Sitangkai towns.

Ali Macabalang, ARMM bureau of public information director, said the ARMM wanted to do away with the political aspect of resolving the halaw problem and instead focus on its pragmatic economic dimension.

“We must discuss humanitarian efforts to document them (Filipino halaws) and let them work legally in Malaysian economic and infrastructure programs befitting their qualifications,” Sinarimbo said.

He said among the measures agreed on in principle was the establishment of a processing center.

“An office outside the ambit of the proprietary dispute over Sabah should be put in place merely to provide documents like passports and employment permits for Filipinos already living illegally in Malaysia,” Sinarimbo said.

He said Malaysia indeed needs Filipino workers and that making their stay in the Malaysian-claimed territory or other parts of the peninsula legal would be beneficial to both countries.

In early 2010, the ARMM labor department  coordinated with accredited recruitment agencies in Kota Kinabalu, which signified their intention to hire 36,000 Filipinos, mainly for household jobs.

Sinarimbo said senior officials of the Malaysian Federal Land Development Authority also told them that some 40,000 additional workers were needed for the expansion of Malaysia’s 800,000 agricultural farms planted to oil palm, rubber and other value crops.