A CASE STUDY OF FILIPINO ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS IN SEMPORNA, SABAH

PUBLIC PERCEPTION OF IMMIGRATION POLICY:

A CASE STUDY OF FILIPINO ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS IN SEMPORNA, SABAH

BY

NUR HASMIRA HASBULLAH

A dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Human Sciences in Political Science

Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences

International Islamic University Malaysia

FEBRUARY 2020

ii

ABSTRACT

This study examines the mechanisms, policies and public perceptions associated with Filipino illegal immigrants in Sabah. The aim of this study is to distinguish the mechanisms and policies taken by previous and the current Sabah state government in reducing the numbers of Filipino illegal immigrants in Sabah. Public perceptions on the policies and mechanisms are also being measured in this research, particularly in Sabah. It examines the public perceptions in Semporna, Sabah on the influx of Filipino illegal immigrants in social, economic and security aspects. The population of this study is the local people in Semporna, Sabah. The research uses data collection through the instrument of survey questionnaire and interview. The survey questionnaire is distributed to the local people in Semporna, Sabah; while, the interview was conducted with the Deputy Director of Enforcement in Sabah Immigration Department. The findings show that (1) the mechanisms and policies introduced by the previous government are still continued and are currently revised by the current Sabah state government, (2) the influx of Filipino illegal immigrants in Semporna, Sabah has caused negative social and security concerns. However, for the economic sector, majority of respondents agreed that the influx of undocumented immigrants to towns like Semporna, Sabah view the presence of illegals as positive since they are willing to for low pay.

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ﺚﺤﺒﻟا ﺺ ﱠﺨﻠُﻣ

تﺎﺳﺎﯿﺴﻟاو تﺎﯿﻟﻵا ﺚﺤﺒﻟا لوﺎﻨﺘﯾ و

عﻮﺿﻮﻤﺑ ﻂﺒﺗﺮﻤﻟا مﺎﻌﻟا يأﺮﻟا

ﺮﯿﻏ ﻦﯾﺮﺟﺎﮭﻤﻟا ﻟا

ﻦﯿﯿﻋﺮﺸ ﺔﯾﻻو ﻰﻟإ ﻦﯿﺒﻠﻔﻟا ﻦﻣ

حﺎﺒﺻ ﯾو ، فﺪﮭ ﻰﻟإ

ﱡﯿﺒﺗ ﻦ

ﻲﺘﻟا تﺎﺳﺎﯿﺴﻟاو تﺎﯿﻟﻵا ﺎﮭﺗﺬﺨﺗا

ﻣﻮﻜﺣ ﺎﺘ ﺎﻤﯿﻓ ﺔﯿﻟﺎﺤﻟاو ﺔﻘﺑﺎﺴﻟا حﺎﺒﺻ ﺔﯾﻻو

ﺾﻔﺨﺑ ﻖﻠﻌﺘﯾ ﺮﯿﻏ ﻦﯾﺮﺟﺎﮭﻤﻟا داﺪﻋأ

ﻟا ﻦﯿﺒﻠﻔﻟا ﻦﻣ ﻦﯿﯿﻋﺮﺸ

، سﺎﯿﻗ ﻰﻟإ ﺔﻓﺎﺿإ

مﺎﻌﻟا يأﺮﻟا هﺎﺠﺗ

هﺬھ و تﺎﯿﻟﻵا لﻼﺧ ﻦﻣ تﺎﺳﺎﯿﺴﻟا

ﺮﯿﺛﺄﺗ ﻦﻣ ﻒﻗﻮﻤﻟا ﱡﻓﺪﺗ

ﻖ

ﺮﯿﻏ ﻦﯾﺮﺟﺎﮭﻤﻟا ﻟا

ﻻا ﺐﻧاﻮﺠﻟا ﻰﻠﻋ ﻦﯿﯿﻋﺮﺸ ﻻاو ﺔﯿﻋﺎﻤﺘﺟ

ﺔﯿﻨﻣﻷاو ﺔﯾدﺎﺼﺘﻗ ،

و نﻮﯿﻨﻌﻤﻟا ﺚﺤﺒﻟﺎﺑ

نﺎﻜﺳ ﻢھ ﺎﻧرﻮﺒﻤﯿﺳ

ﯿﻠﺤﻤﻟا ﻮ ن ﺔﯾﻻو ﻲﻓ حﺎﺒﺻ

،

ا لﻼﺧ ﻦﻣ ﺎًّﯿﻋﻮﻧو ﺎًّﯿﻤﻛ تﺎﻧﺎﯿﺒﻟا ﺖﻌﻤﺟُ ﺪﻗو ﻧﺎﺒﺘﺳ

ﻰﻠﻋ ﺖﻋﱢزُو ﺔ ا

نﺎﻜﺴﻟ

ﻦﯿﯿﻠﺤﻤﻟا

، و ﻠﺑﺎﻘﻣ ﺖﯾﺮﺟُأ ﺔ ﺐﺋﺎﻧ ﻊﻣ

ﻟا ﻲﻓ ةﺮﺠﮭﻟا ةرادﻹ يﺬﯿﻔﻨﺘﻟا ﺮﯾﺪﻤ ﺔﯾﻻو

حﺎﺒﺻ ﺖﻨﱠﯿﺑ ﺪﻗو ،

ﻲﺘﻟا تﺎﺳﺎﯿﺴﻟاو تﺎﯿﻟﻵا نأ ﺞﺋﺎﺘﻨﻟا ﺎﮭﺗﺬﺨﺗا

ﺔﻣﻮﻜﺤﻟا

ﺔﻘﺑﺎﺴﻟا ﺎﻣ

ةﺮﻤﺘﺴﻣ لاﺰﺗ

ًّﯿﻟﺎﺣ ﻊﻀﺨﺗو ، ﺔﯿﻟﺎﺤﻟا ﺔﻣﻮﻜﺤﻟا ﺔﻌﺟاﺮﻤﻟ ﺎ

ﮫﻧأو ،

ﻦﻣ ﻢﻏﺮﻟا ﻰﻠﻋ ﱡﻓﺪﺗ نأ

ﺮﯿﻏ ﻦﯾﺮﺟﺎﮭﻤﻟا ﻖ ﻟا

ﺪﻗ ﻦﯿﺒﯿﻠﻔﻟا ﻦﻣ ﻦﯿﯿﻋﺮﺸ ﻰﻟإ ىﱠدأ

فوﺎﺨﻣ ﻖﻠﺧ ا

ﺘﺟ ﺔﯿﻨﻣأو ﺔﯿﻋﺎﻤ

؛ ﮫﻟ ﻻا عﺎﻄﻘﻟا ﻰﻠﻋ ﻲﺑﺎﺠﯾإ ﺐﻧﺎﺟ يدﺎﺼﺘﻗ

ﻦﯿﻛرﺎﺸﻤﻟا ﺔﯿﺒﻟﺎﻏ ﻊﻤﺟأ ﺎﻤﻛ

؛ نﻷ ﺮﯿﻏ ﻦﯾﺮﺟﺎﮭﻤﻟا ﻟا

ﺒﻗ ﺮﺜﻛأ ﻦﯿﯿﻋﺮﺸ

ًﻻ ﻮ

.ﺔﻀﻔﺨﻨﻣ رﻮﺟأ ﻰﻠﻋ لﻮﺼﺤﻠﻟ

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APPROVAL PAGE

I certify that I have supervised and read this study and that in my opinion, it conforms to acceptable standards of scholarly presentation and is fully adequate, in scope and quality, as a thesis for the degree of Master of Human Sciences (Political Science).

...………...

Norhaslinda Jamiudin Supervisor

I certify that I have read this study and that in my opinion it conforms to acceptable standards of scholarly presentation and is fully adequate, in scope and quality, as a thesis for the degree of Master of Human Sciences (Political Science).

………..

Abdillah Noh Examiner

This thesis was submitted to the Department of Political Science and is accepted as a fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Human Sciences (Political Science).

………..

Rabi’ah Aminudin

Head, Department of Political Science

This thesis was submitted to the Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences and is accepted as fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Human Sciences (Political Science).

………

Shukran Abd Rahman Dean, Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences.

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DECLARATION

I hereby declare that this dissertation is the result of my own investigations, except where otherwise stated. I also declare that it has not been previously or concurrently submitted as a whole for any other degrees at IIUM or other institutions.

Nur Hasmira Hasbullah

Signature ... Date ...

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COINTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA

DECLARATION OF COPYRIGHT AND AFFIRMATION OF

FAIR USE OF UNPUBLISHED RESEARCH

PUBLIC PERCEPTION OF IMMIGRATION POLICY:

A CASE STUDY OF FILIPINO ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS IN SEMPORNA, SABAH

I declare that the copyright holders of this dissertation are jointly owned by the student and IIUM.

Copyright © 2019 Nur Hasmira Hasbullah and International Islamic University Malaysia. All rights reserved.

No part of this unpublished research may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without prior written permission of the copyright holder except as provided below:

1. Any material contained in or derived from this unpublished research may be used by others in their writing with due acknowledgement.

2. IIUM or its library will have the right to make and transmit copies (print or electronic) for institutional and academic purposes.

3. The IIUM library will have the right to make, store in a retrieved system and supply copies of this unpublished research if requested by other universities and research libraries.

By signing this form, I acknowledged that I have read and understand the IIUM Intellectual Property Right and Commercialization policy.

Affirmed by Nur Hasmira Hasbullah

……..……….. ………..

Signature Date

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Alhamdulillah, all praise to Allah, Lord of the Universe, and May Peace and Blessings be upon His beloved Prophet Muhammad SAW, on the household of the Prophet, and on his faithful companions.

First and foremost I would like to thank Allah, the Almighty for bestowing me with a good mental health and physical in successfully accomplishing the arduous task of writing this thesis.

Upon completing this thesis, I have cried one litre of tears. I will be forever indebted to my amazing supervisor Dr Hjh Norhaslinda binti Hj Jamiudin for her patience in dealing with my childish attitudes, her insightful guidance, limitless patience and unfailing support as well as motivation given to me right from the early stages of this research. Her love and smiles will always be forever in my heart.

I would like also to express my respect to Tuan Hamdan Bin Ahmad as the Deputy Director of Enforcement in Sabah Immigration Department for his explaination and clear information on the influx of Filipino illegal immigrants in Sabah for this study. Special thanks are also dedicated to all my respondents in Semporna, Sabah for answering the survey questionnaire.

My sincere gratitude also goes to my beloved father, Hj Hasbullah bin Datuk Hj Rauddah and my dearly mother, Hjh Juslin binti Hj Elahan for their love, support, guidance and help in completing this research. I will be everlasting indebted to them.

Thank you for all the financial support throughout my studies.

Finally, I would like to express my deepest and special appreciation to my beloved and understanding husband, Mohammad Iqbal bin Hj Mohd Darasah for his unfailing support and continuous encouragement throughout my years of study. Thank you for always being there for me.

May Allah repay all your kindness.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Abstract ... ii

Arabic Abstract ... iii

Approval Page ... iv

Declaration ... v

Copyright Page ... vi

Acknowledgement ... vii

Table of Contents ... viii

List of Tables ... xi

List of Figures ... xiii

List of Symbols ... xiv

List of Abbreviation ... xv

CHAPTER ONE:INTRODUCTION ... 1

1.1 Background Oof The Study ... 1

1.2 Statement of Problem ... 3

1.3 Research Question ... 5

1.4 Research Objectives ... 6

1.5 Significance of Study ... 6

1.6 Literature Review ... 7

1.6.1 General Context ... 7

1.6.2 Malaysian Context ... 9

1.6.3 Sabah Context ... 13

1.7 Conceptual Framework ... 16

1.8 Operational Model ... 18

1.8.1 Illegal Immigrants ... 18

1.8.2 Government Policy ... 18

1.8.3 Social Problems Effect ... 19

1.8.4 Economy Effect ... 19

1.8.5 Security Effect ... 19

1.8.6 Policy Effectiveness ... 19

1.9 Research Methodolgy ... 20

1.9.1 Research Design ... 20

1.9.2 Unit of Analysis ... 20

1.9.3 Population and Sampling ... 21

1.9.4 Data Collection: Primary Data ... 21

1.9.4.1 Questionnaire ... 21

1.9.4.2 Interview ... 22

1.9.5 Secondary Data ... 22

1.9.6 Data Analysis ... 23

1.10 Chapter Outline ... 23

CHAPTER TWO:MECHANISMS IMPLEMENTED BY SABAH IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT IN REDUCING THE NUMBER OF FILIPINO ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS IN SABAH ... 25

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2.1 Introduction ... 25

2.2 An Overview Of Historical Background Of Sabah ... 25

2.3 Political Structure ... 28

2.4 Sabah Immigration Department ... 30

2.5 Policy Actions In Mitigating Illegal Immigrants: Past And Present ... 32

2.5.1 Past Mechanisms ... 33

2.5.2 Latest Policies Actions ... 37

2.5.3 Number of Illegal Immigrants Arrested in 2017 & 2018 ... 39

2.5.4 Deportation in 2017 & 2018 ... 42

2.6 Other Agencies Involved In The Illegal Immigrants Operations ... 44

2.7 Discussion ... 47

2.8 Chapter Summary ... 49

CHAPTER THREE:RESEARCH METHODS ... 50

3.1 Introduction ... 50

3.2 Research Design ... 50

3.3 Population And Sampling ... 51

3.3.1 Questionnaire ... 51

3.3.2 Interview ... 51

3.4 Data Collection Techniques ... 52

3.4.1 Questionnaire ... 52

3.4.2 Interview ... 53

3.5 Data Analysis ... 54

3.5.1 Questionnaire ... 54

3.5.2 Interview ... 54

3.6 Goodness Of Measurement ... 55

3.6.1 Reliability Test ... 55

3.6.2 Content Validity ... 56

3.7 Chapter Summary ... 57

CHAPTER FOUR:DATA ANALYSIS AND PRESENTATION OF RESULTS ... 58

4.1 Introduction ... 58

4.2 Demographic Information ... 58

4.3 Public Perception on The Effectiveness of Policy And Mechanism Implemented By Sabah State Government in Reducing The Number of Filipino Illegal Immigrants In Sabah ... 62

4.4 Public Perception on The Influx of Filipino Illegal Immigrants in Semporna, Sabah on Social Problem ... 70

4.5 Public Perception on The Influx of Filipino Illegal Immigrants in Semporna, Sabah on Economic Aspect ... 74

4.6 Public Perception on The Influx of Filipino Illegal Immigrants in Semporna, Sabah on Security Aspect ... 82

4.7 In-Depth Discussion ... 88

4.8 Conclusion ... 90

CHAPTER FIVE:CONCLUSION ... 93

5.1 Introduction ... 93

5.2 Summary ... 93

x

5.3 Recommendations For Policy Improvement ... 96

5.4 Limitations Of Study ... 97

REFERENCES ... 99

APPENDIX ... 105

xi

LIST OF TABLES

Table No Figure No

Table 2.1 Illegal Immigrants arrested in 2017 38

Table 2.2 Illegal Immigrants arrested in 2018 40

Table 2.3 Deportation in 2017 41

Table 2.4 Deportation in 2018 43

Table 3.1 Reliability statistics for all the constructs 54

Table 4.1 Gender distribution of sample 58

Table 4.2 Age distribution of sample 58

Table 4.3 Race distribution of sample 59

Table 4.4 Religion distribution of sample 59

Table 4.5 Highest academic qualification distribution of sample 60

Table 4.6 Occupation distribution of sample 60

Table 4.7 Respondents’ perception on the establishment of ESSCOM

62

Table 4.8 Respondents’ perception on the establishment of

Foreign Management Committee 62

Table 4.9 Respondents’ perception on bilateral relationship between Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and President Rodrigo Duterte

63

Table 4.10 Respondents’ perception on the identification named IMM13

64

Table 4.11 Respondents’ perception on Ops Mega 3.0 65

Table 4.12 Respondents’ perception on Program 3+1 65

Table 4.13 Respondents’ perception on special passes and rehiring

programme 66

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Table 4.14 Respondents’ perception on overall mechanism 67

Table 4.15 Open-ended questions 68

Table 4.16 Respondents’ perception on drug smuggling 69 Table 4.17 Respondents’ perception on strict crimes 70 Table 4.18 Respondents’ perception on prostitution 71 Table 4.19 Respondents’ perception on smuggling cigarettes 71

Table 4.20 Respondents’ perception on littering 72

Table 4.21 Respondents’ perception on the overall social problems 73 Table 4.22 Respondents’ perception on construction sector 74 Table 4.23 Respondents’ perception on sea production 75 Table 4.24 Respondents’ perception on palm oil plantation 76 Table 4.25 Respondents’ perception on maid services 76 Table 4.26 Respondents’ perception on low salary payment 77 Table 4.27 Respondents’ perception on job opportunities 78

Table 4.28 Respondents’ perception on 3D sectors 78

Table 4.29 Respondents’ perception on the overall results of economic sector

79

Table 4.30 Respondents’ perception on security of the locals 82 Table 4.31 Respondents’ perception on feeling unsafe 82 Table 4.32 Respondents’ perception on state government laws 83 Table 4.33 Respondents’ perception on kidnapping people 84 Table 4.34 Respondents’ perception on weapon smuggling 84 Table 4.35 Respondents’ perception on gangster groups 85 Table 4.36 Respondents’ perception on sharing information 86 Table 4.37 Respondents’ perception on social, economy and

security effects 87

xiii

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure No Page No

Figure 1.1 Conceptual Framework on Immigration Policy and Effects of Illegal Immigrants on a Country

18

Figure 1.2 The Multistage Sampling Technique to Simplify the

Sampling Process 20

Figure 2.1 Sabah State Government Structure 28

Figure 2.2 Sabah Immigration Organisational Structure 30

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LIST OF SYMBOLS

% Percentage

(α) Cronbach’s Alpha N Frequency

SD Standard Deviations

xv

LIST OF ABBREVIATION

AIDS Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome

BN Barisan Nasional

BNBC British North Borneo Company ESSCOM Eastern Sabah Security Command HIV Human Immunodeficiency Viruses HSC Higher School Certificate

IGC Inter-Governmental Committee

IIUM International Islamic University Malaysia

IMM13 Temporary Identification Document for Refugees in Sabah INTERPOL International Criminal Police Organisation

JIM Jabatan Imigresen Malaysia JPN National Registration Department MAF Malaysian Army Force

MCE Malaysian Certificate of Education

MMEA Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency MPE Malaysian Primary Education

ODA Overbeck & Dent Association

OPS Operasi

PBS Parti Bersatu Sabah PHD Doctor of Philosophy

RELA Malaysian Volunteer Corps Department RMP Royal Malaysian Police

SPSS Statistical Package for the Social Sciences

UK United Kingdom

UM University Malaya

US United States

USM Universiti Sains Malaysia

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CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The arrival of illegal immigrants is an intractable issue faced by many countries, including Malaysia. Malaysia is known as a destination country for Bangladeshi, Nepalese, Indonesian, Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Filipino immigrants.

Consequently, Malaysia has been plagued by issues related to illegal immigrants for decades and the government is under mounting pressure to crackdown residence of illegal immigrants without approval or legal documents (Azizah Kassim, 2000). The escalating number of illegal immigrants in Malaysia has been due to several factors, such as poor enforcement, weak internal control policies, border issues between countries, broader fake identification syndicate, and increasing demand from employers due to labour shortage (Arvin Tajari and Nurfazlina Affendi, 2015). In 2018, the Department of Immigration (JIM) reported that the application of foreign worker pass for temporary employment rose from 176, 351 in January 2018 to 197, 610 in December 2018. In total, 2, 088, 295 applications were recorded in 2018 (JIM, 2018). The number of undocumented foreign workers has outnumbered documented ones by a large margin with 2.5 undocumented illegal foreign workers for each documented foreign worker. Besides, the six million foreign workers make up one- fifth of the Malaysian population of 30 million (Lee and Idris, 2018). Most of them are employed in low-skilled jobs across manufacturing, plantation, construction, services, agriculture, and mining sectors (Khazanah Research Institute, 2018).

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In Malaysia, the highest number of undocumented workers was recorded in Selangor, followed by Johor and Sabah (Carpio et al., 2013), with almost 1.15 million non-citizens living in Sabah and most of them coming from Indonesia, Pakistan, and the Philippines. Filipinos were recorded as the largest number of non-citizens living in Sabah, primarily due to easy access and close proximity between the Philippines and Sabah (Patrick, 2018). The influx of Filipino illegal immigrants in Sabah can be traced back since the 1980s (Azizah Kassim, 2009), with Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan, Kinabatangan, Tawau, and especially Semporna, being the most affected areas in Sabah due to their close distance with the Philippines (Zarina Othman et al., 2016).

Ease of entering and exiting Semporna through small islands, such as Kapalai, Maiga, Bohey Dulang, Mataking, and Pandanan (Ramli Dollah et al., 2016), explains the high presence of Filipino illegal immigrants residing in Semporna.

The influx of Filipino immigrants in Sabah has sparked a number of social issues, such as kidnapping, theft, and drug abuse (Hassan, W. Shawaluddin and Ramli Dollah, 2002). This, in turn, has threatened the state’s security as demonstrated in the involvement of Filipino immigrants in the attack on Semporna police station in 1996, as well as the attempt of Filipino invasion of Lahad Datu and Semporna in 2013 (Peters and De Silva, 2002; Zarina Othman et al., 2016). In response, the state government of Sabah has intensified its efforts to reduce the number of illegal immigrants, particularly those from the Philippines.

The National Security Council reported that the government’s deportation programme had deported more than 500 000 Filipinos to their home country between 1990 and 2018 (The Sun Daily, 2018). Despite enforcement and operation carried out by the Immigration Department, the total number of illegal immigrants in Sabah is still high. The chief minister of Sabah, Datuk Seri Panglima Shafie Apdal, in his

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recent statement, clearly emphasised on the imperative need to develop a proper database pertaining to immigration issues, as well as the role of the state in taking full control over immigration issues, especially those related to illegal immigrants as failure to do so may eventually threaten state security (The Star, 2019).

That being mentioned, this study investigated the influx of Filipino illegal immigrants in Semporna, Sabah. In particular, this study assessed the policy actions implemented by the Sabah state and federal government to reduce the number of illegal immigrants residing in Sabah. Past and present mechanisms were evaluated to identify the effectiveness of the implemented policies, apart from assessing the public perception of social, economy, and security effects of their arrival on those local in Semporna, Sabah.

1.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

Over six million undocumented immigrants had been recorded to reside in Malaysia (Lee and Idris, 2018). From this figure, more than one million illegal immigrants were recorded in Sabah with Filipino illegal immigrants being the highest number in the state, followed by Indonesian and Pakistani (Patrick, 2018). According to the Deputy Home Minister, Datuk Azis Jamman, the total number of Filipino illegal immigrants in Sabah is still high as they continuously enter the country via illegal land routes and vast coastal areas (Vanar, 2018) with the help of unregistered agencies and locals (Shagar, 2016). Data retrieved from the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) showed that Sabah is the state in Malaysia that has been receiving Filipino illegal immigrants the most due to its geographical proximity (Low and Mokhtar, 2017). This, therefore, is the reason for selecting Sabah as the study area in this research.

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Many Filipinos have been working in Sabah as documented workers; a majority of them with the status of illegal immigrants and are working illegally (Lee and Idris, 2018). The influx of foreign labour is further fuelled by the high demand for foreign workers, especially amidst industries that are characterised as dirty, difficult, and dangerous, due to the low interest displayed by the locals towards such jobs. The escalating demand for foreign workers in these sectors has forced the government to implement rehiring programme and special work passes, especially for Filipinos workers in Sabah. Issuance of these special passes is bound to regulate and monitor foreign workers in the state. Nevertheless, the state government had received massive public criticisms and mixed reactions from the people of Sabah (Borneo Today, 2018).

Such mixed reactions stemmed from the ineffective government policy enforced to minimise unauthorised immigration and to reduce the number of illegal workers as even after years of deportation exercises, the number of undocumented immigrants has continued to prevail. This reflects the need to understand and assess the effectiveness of the measures introduced by the government from the stance of the public. The initial feedback provided by the public is vital in guiding governmental policy actions in support of the attempt taken by the federal government to make Malaysia free of illegal immigrants (Siti A'isyahSukaimi, 2018).

Despite the high demand for foreign workers to work in certain industries in Malaysia, their presence has sparked concerns due to their involvement in criminal activities. The influx of Filipino illegal immigrants has been positively linked with increasing social problems, such as thefts, kidnapping, drug abuse, illegal nightclubs, and prostitution (Hildson, 2007; Lee, 2017). This scenario has led to the rising number of health issues in Sabah, especially the increase of HIV and Aids cases (Hildson, 2007). The presence of Filipino illegal immigrants has created security concerns due

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to their high involvement in drug abuse and smuggling of weapons. The Lahad Datu invasion, for instance, which was initiated by Filipino illegal immigrants, caused fear as the security of the local people was at stake (Chou and Gooch, 2016). Hence, the presence of undocumented workers, especially Filipinos, seems to exert adverse effects on social, economy, and security of the local people. Nonetheless, public perception on this highlighted issue has remained understudied, particularly within the context of Semporna, Sabah.

This study examined both the past and present measures taken by the Sabah state government in minimising the number of illegal immigrants, particularly Filipinos illegal immigrants. This study analysed the public perception of government policy based on actions implemented, apart from assessing the public perception of social, economy, and security impacts brought by the influx of Filipino illegal immigrants on locals in Semporna, Sabah.

1.3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

This study sought to address the following research questions:

1. What are the mechanisms and policies devised by the previous and present Sabah state government to reduce the number of Filipino illegal immigrants in Sabah (2017-2019)?

2. How do the public perceive the mechanisms and policies introduced by the Sabah state government to reduce the number of Filipino illegal immigrants in Sabah?

3. How do the public perceive the social, economy, and security effects brought by Filipino illegal immigrants on the locals in Semporna, Sabah?

6 1.4 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

The following research objectives were developed for this study:

1. To analyse the mechanisms and policies implemented the previous and present Sabah state government to reduce the influx of Filipino illegal immigrants in Sabah (2017-2019).

2. To examine the public perception of the mechanisms and policies introduced by the state government to reduce the number of Filipino illegal immigrants in Sabah.

3. To assess the public’s reaction towards the social, economy, and security impacts brought by the arrival of Filipino illegal immigrants on the locals in Semporna, Sabah.

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY

A number of studies have investigated several imminent issues concerning Filipino illegal immigrants within the context of Sabah, while only a handful have looked into the public perception of their arrival in Semporna, Sabah. This fact places the present study in limelight due to its contribution to the body of knowledge, especially amongst the authority to improve the efficacy of policies implemented by the Sabah state government. The outcomes of this study serve as essential resources for the Sabah state government to improve future implementation of policymaking process upon revising previous Sabah state mechanisms and policies. In this sense, this study contributes to the society and the government of Sabah in terms of the implementation of immigration policies and mechanisms.

7 1.6 LITERATURE REVIEW

1.6.1 General Context

The uprising issue of illegal immigrants has been reported across the globe due to several factors, including economy, geographical proximity, family, and security factors. Illegal immigration is a long-standing issue that drives governments to keep revising their policies to effectively address this problem. For instance, Nadadur (2009) claimed that the influx of Mexican illegal immigrants to the US was due to employment opportunities and family connection. Guided by the labour market theory, the study revealed that in the US, Mexican illegal immigrants provided cheaper labour for employers than other legal immigrants, hence the higher tendency amongst business owners to hire those illegal than the legal ones. This emphasises that the economy reason is the main contributing factor that explains the increasing number of Mexican illegal immigrants in the US.

Another factor for the escalating number of illegal immigrants in the US is the advancement of technology. Newell et al. (2016) described how Mexican illegal immigrants gained information via communication technology to cross the border into the US. The study data, which were collected from semi-structured interviews with 38 Mexican deportees, revealed that some immigrants had wanted to cross the border again despite absence of valid travel documents. The use of cell phones helped them to cross the border as these gadgets supplied them information transmitted from their family and friends who were already in the US. Interestingly, the study exemplified that usage of social media, such as Facebook, helped them to communicate with their peers so that the authority would fail tracking their movement. They also gained information and help from new friends they found at deportation centres, particularly

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on how to cross the border, while some sought aid from mafia and gangsters in exchange of handsome payment.

Bohn and Pugatch (2015) documented the enforcement conducted by the US government to curb the arrival of Mexican illegal immigrants into the country.

Controlling the rise in the arrival of illegal immigrants demands effective action from the government. According to Bjerre (2017), influx of illegal immigrant has created a phenomenon called the ‘deterrence effect’. The rise of illegal immigrants is bound to force the government to consistently strengthen its measures and policy action to address such problem. One mechanism introduced is by using the border enforcement, whereby the US has allocated 1,000 border patrol officers to prevent unauthorised migrants from entering the country. This enforcement, despite its positive outcome in the declining number of Mexican illegal immigrants, has led to adverse impacts. One of these impacts refers to involvement of mafia and gangster groups for crossing the border illegally with a hefty fee (Newell et al., 2016). This has created strong deterrence by the government in terms of implementing amnesty program and in introducing special passes to illegal immigrants who are already residing in the US.

As in the UK, the increasing number of illegal immigrants has created concerns among the public, despite the positive implication it has on economy growth.

Ferrant et al. (2006) reported a mixed impact of illegal immigrants on the economy growth in UK because of their willingness to work at a low pay, so as to overcome poverty in their home state. Based on the push and pull factors theory, the study explained that more illegal immigrants were entering the country due to several push factors, including poverty, population pressure, and oversupply of low educated labours in their home country. The immigrants are ‘pulled’ to the UK due to political policies, family members, and other connections, which ease their travel and link them

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to specific jobs across the country. Such networks offer a basis for adaptation and community formation. Like other illegal immigrants in other countries, those in the UK take up jobs that are dirty, difficult, and dangerous.

Both the US and the UK share similar underlying reasons for the increase in the number of illegal immigrants entering these two countries, as depicted in the push and pull factors theory. According to Magalhaes et al. (2010), the absence of government authorisation is the main factor to the increasing number of illegal immigrants in Canada. The study discovered that many immigrants in Canada, who used to hold legal status and came to the country legally, ended up as illegal immigrants due to several reasons, such as change of jobs without authorisation by its government. As a result, most of them face difficulties in gaining access to the public health amenities due to their status, for instance, pregnant women without valid visas face difficulties to get health insurance, receive adequate treatment, and give birth in public hospitals. As such, gaining government authorisation through proper policy measures is crucial in providing assistance to these people.

1.6.2 Malaysian Context

In the case of Malaysia, the rising number of illegal immigrants has been associated with plenty of factors, namely economy, family ties, and geographical proximity.

According to Azizah Kassim (2000), economic factors are the main reason for the escalating number of illegal immigrants in Malaysia. The political and economic stability enjoyed by Malaysia has lured many foreign workers to seek better employment in exchange for their impoverished life back home. As part of the New Economic Policy in 1970, the government brought in foreign labour and this led to the increasing number of foreign workers in Malaysia. This policy had attracted the