6,200 Malaysians among 28,000 in Pala'u community - Saifuddin Nasution

He said out of that number, it was found that 6,200 people are Malaysians with valid birth certificates and identity cards.

The remainder includes individuals without identity documents, including children and heads of families.

"We acknowledge the existence of this Pala'u community in Sabah, and a meeting on the management of foreigners in Sabah, the Foreigner Management Committee, was held yesterday, which I chaired together with the Chief Minister (Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor).

"At the meeting, we reviewed reports on the Pala'u community, starting with the data from the ESSCOM study, and established their numbers," he told reporters after the Home Ministry's security inspection of the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZone) with foreign representatives today.

He added that the meeting included a presentation on several initiatives by the state government, concerning the Pala'u community.

One initiative involves resettling the community at Pantai Manis, with plans to develop 50 to 100 houses as a new resettlement area.

Another initiative aims to engage with heads of families, to identify those interested in working in sectors such as plantations, aquaculture, agriculture, and various other skilled areas.

"This initiative has already begun. Pala'u children are placed in a centre in Kota Kinabalu with guardians, and two similar centres to be opened to help discourage begging activities," he said.

"This centre offers various self-care training classes, including basic literacy classes. The Sabah government is also collaborating with educational NGOs such as Haluan and Iskul," he added.

He emphasised that this initiative is a noble effort, and significantly more positive than the portrayal by outside parties.

"It is time to recognise this initiative as a strong commitment by the state government," he said.

-- BERNAMA