He said all the other categories of migrants in the state, who did not have passports, should be classified as illegal immigrants.

“According to official records, there are about 51,000 IMM13 holders. These are the persons who belong to the category of persons who, presumably, have been given exemption under the Passport Act 1966 (Section 4) or the Immigration Act 1959/63 (section 55).

“All other foreigners who do not bear valid passports issued by their own countries are illegal immigrants. This should include the holders of census cards (about 47,000 persons) and Kad Burung Burung (about 39,000),” he said in a statement here today.

Home Minister Hamzah Zainudin said recently that Putrajaya planned to standardise the Filipino refugees’ and stateless migrants documents.

Hamzah had proposed the IMM13 to replace the census cards and Kad Burung-Burung issued by the federal and state governments.

Yong said Hamzah’s plan to get the illegal migrants registered as foreigners was a positive step as it meant they would remain as foreigners in Sabah, as all the other documents, except IMM13, that would be issued to the migrants would be phased out.

“The objective of the government should be to do away with IMM13 documents eventually as the war refugees begin the process of returning to their home countries,” he said.

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