Himpunan Asasi Rakyat Sabah said Chief Minister Mohd Shafie Apdal was empowered to advise Putrajaya on how to end the state’s migrant woes.

“Failure to resolve this would put the security and sovereignty of Sabah at risk. The ball is in the chief minister’s court as the state holds special immigration powers,” its spokesman Samuel Lai said today

Warisan had said in its 13-point election manifesto that identification documents and citizenship papers would be updated for security purposes.

Shafie had announced the cancellation of the pass, which was supposed to be issued to 133,055 holders of the IMM13, Surat Burung-Burung and census card, following the party’s defeat in the Kimanis by-election in January.

Lai said Warisan must also make a stand on the “Sabah IC” proposal made by its deputy president Darell Leiking in August last year.

Leiking had said he had been pushing for the “Sabah IC” through which the people could identify themselves as Sabahans.

Lai added that all the refugees who fled the unrest in the southern Philippines should also be repatriated as peace had returned in that country.