Proposal to set up Indian consulate in Sabah lacks transparency, says activist

KOTA KINABALU (Feb 23): Sabahans should reject the proposal to establish an Indian consulate in the state.

In making this call, Tamparuli Welfare Association (PETI) co-chairman Jaesman Gipin stressed that several factors must be carefully considered before the proposal could be realised.

“There is currently no pressing need to justify the establishment of such a consulate in Sabah.

“The number of Indian nationals in Sabah is relatively small, and many have already be-come Malaysian citizens,” he said in a social media post.

Adding on, Jaesman believed that the priority should be the establishment of a consu-late for the Philippines in Sabah.

“The state has a large population of Filipinos who may require consular services to ad-dress various issues, including those related to undocumented migrants.”

According to Jaesman, the proposal to establish an Indian consulate in Sabah lacks transparency and does not sufficiently involve the views of the people of the state.

Jaesman, who previously served as an immigration officer, is also an advisor to the Tam-paruli branch of Pribumi Sabah Welfare Association.