Politicians protecting illegal Indonesian school, district officer tells RCI

Political interference and patronage from certain parties led to the establishment of an illegal Indonesian school and the rise of squatter colonies in Papar, said its district officer Iman Ali.

Iman told the Royal Commission of Inquiry into illegal immigrants in Sabah that the illegal school followed the Indonesian education syllabus and its students wore the uniform colours of that country, red and white.

"Every Monday, the students would sing the Indonesian national anthem. But the district office never received any application for the opening and running of the school."

Iman said the issue was discussed during a meeting with officers from other departments including the Education Department. A written report was also submitted by the Education officer on the issue of the Indonesian school.

He said the district office had attempted to shut the school down as it was not permitted to operate but political interference put paid to that move. Iman said he had received phone calls from certain political parties who instructed him to back down.

"The Indonesian illegal immigrants squat on land and then practice very unhealthy sanitation habits, including indiscriminate dumping of faeces. This was discovered by workers when they went to the area to cut grass," Iman said.

"But when we wanted to carry out eviction action against these squatters, we would receive phone calls from certain political parties. We were instructed not to go ahead with the eviction.

"Instructions were given to the school to stop operating but it was ignored due to political interference. Our hands are tied, there is nothing we can do."

Papar, known as the "rice bowl of Sabah", has a population of 124,420 according to a 2010 census. However, it could not be ascertained how many illegal immigrants were residing in the district.

Iman revealed that some local residents were also involved in selling and renting their land to illegal immigrants without following the proper procedure. The land office was not informed about these activities.

"Take the land where the Indonesian school was constructed, the land belongs to a local who rented it to immigrants without informing the relevant authorities," Iman told the five-men RCI panel led by former Sabah and Sarawak Chief Justice Tan Sri Steve Shim Lip Kiong.