He said the assurance was given at a meeting with senior immigration officers in Labuan today.

“We have observed that there are immigration loopholes between Labuan and the entry points at Menumbok and Jesselton Point ferry terminals in Sabah, where no immigration officials are placed in these locations,” he said in a statement today.

He said people with bad intentions might be able to use these loopholes “to go scot-free, entering and leaving Sabah without proper records and documentation”.

Ongkili said the Sabah and Labuan immigration departments told him they are prepared to employ measures to enforce laws and regulations to protect Sabah’s immigration rights, in the event the Sabah state government obtains full rights over immigration.

He noted that Sabah’s immigration rights had been diluted with the federalisation of Labuan by the then Berjaya government in 1984.