Immigration Dept treated ethnic minorities as non-bumiputra

Is is real that the Immigration Department is treating the ethnic minorities from East Malaysia as non-bumiputra ?

Mahmood Adam, Immigration director-general stated that the department managed to attract about 30% non-bumiputra personnel in its latest recruitment drive. Those 30% are the non-Malays, such as the Chinese, Indian AND ethnic minorities from Sabah and Sarawak like the Iban, Bidayuh, Penan, Orang Ulu, Bajau, Kadazandusun, Murut, etc.

First, the ethnic minitories as far as Sarawak is concerned, is the pre-bumi of Sarawak. They settled in Sarawak even before the arrival of the Malays. As for Sabah, the ethnic group settled in Sabah even before the arrival of the Malays from the Brunei Sultanate (or the arrival of UMNO Malays from Semanjung).

Point 12 (of the Malaysia Formation Agreement)- The native of Sabah have equal rights as those of Malays in Malaya. Thus native of Sabah is not second class Bumiputra or Bumiputra Lain Lain.

However, going forward, we now should be treating each other as Malaysian and not bumiputra or non-bumiputra. Afterall, every rakyat is expected to contribute to the nation building regardless if you are Malay or non-Malay.

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From The Star

Immigration finally gets non-bumis to join up
By SIM LEOI LEOI

PUTRAJAYA: The Immigration Department scored a first recently when it attracted about 30% non-bumiputra personnel in its latest recruitment drive.

“This is the first time that any government agency has managed to attract such a big number of non-Malays,” said department director-general Datuk Mahmood Adam.

He said that of the 940 new personnel recruited, slightly more than 30% comprised Chinese, Indians and ethnic minorities from Sabah and Sarawak.

“The new personnel will be stationed along the east coast of the peninsula, Kedah, Sabah and Sarawak. In the beginning, many of them will be sent to work at the Immigration depots to get experience before being assigned to various duties.

“I am proud we have managed to attract such a huge number of non-Malays,” Mahmood told reporters after presenting the appointment letters to the personnel at the department headquarters here yesterday.

Earlier, when addressing the new recruits, Mahmood said they should preserve the image and reputation of their “parents and family members” by not indulging in corrupt practices.

The new intake would boost the numbers at the department to 11,000 personnel, which would help to enhance enforcement and control the 22 million tourists and 2.4 million foreign workers in the country.

“At present, the lack of personnel is making our work difficult. We have 240,000 people entering through Johor alone and we have over 200 entry points in the country.

“We have asked the Public Service Department for 3,000 new enforcement personnel,” he said.

On the lowering of passport fees, Mahmood said the department had completed its study on the matter and submitted it to the Government for consideration.

“The Government will decide by the year’s end. We have identified the security features we can reduce from 35 currently to five – those which are redundant, overlapping or superseded by newer technology.

“So, hopefully, by doing away with such features, we can bring down the cost of passports without jeopardising security standards,” he said.