Madius cadang kerajaan gubal akta pelarian

Tuaran MP Madius Tangau has called for the Malaysian government to amend the country's existing immigration act to establish clear principles, management timelines, exit pathways, and accountability for handling the issue of immigration. Tangau argued that the current management of immigration is overly dependent on administrative direction and broad moral discretion, risking inconsistency, politicization, and abuse of power.

"If Malaysia wishes to manage immigration itself, why do we not want to have a Malaysia-specific immigration act?" Tangau questioned in the Dewan Rakyat. He urged the government to learn from past experiences in managing three groups of immigrants, namely Vietnamese, Filipinos in Sabah, and the Rohingya in Peninsular Malaysia, before deciding on the future of the Immigration Registration Form (DPP).

Tangau highlighted that the Vietnamese immigration experience showed the need for temporary protection to be paired with a clear exit pathway, as around 240,000 Vietnamese immigrants have been repatriated since 1975, while around 9,000 have returned home. Conversely, he said, the Filipino immigration issue in Sabah has been ongoing for over 50 years, including issues related to documentation and the burden passed on to future generations.

"A permanent policy without an exit policy can become a problem for three generations. Therefore, the DPP should not become the IMM13 (new version)," Tangau said. He noted that a new approach through the DPP, including registration by the government, biometric data, and the determination of immigration status, must be accompanied by a clear answer about what happens after someone receives the document.

Tangau also urged the government to explain the criteria for managing each group of immigrants to ensure that the country's approach is not seen as ad-hoc, with different approaches for each crisis.