Sarawak has no plans to repeal immigration policy, regulation - Adenan

Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem said the existing immigration policy is one of Sarawak's conditions for joining Malaysia as the state was full of outsiders and received external threats.

"The Malays, Chinese, Ibans, Bidayuh and Orang Ulu in Sarawak live in harmony without argument about religion as what happened in Peninsular Malaysia.

"We closed the door to extremists to prevent negative elements from Peninsular Malaysia from coming to Bumi Kenyalang."

Adenan said this in the programme "Bersama Ketua Menteri Sarawak' on TV1 last night and was interviewed by Syed Munawwar for one hour to mark his first anniversary as the Sarawak chief minister.

The Sarawak government plans to abolish toll and was in negotiation with the concessionaires either to decrease or abolish payment of toll roads.

On the fight against illegal logging, Adenan said lax enforcement by authorities emboldened thieves causing the Sarawak government to lose royalties while the forests were destroyed.

In response, the Sarawak Forestry Department conducted daily raids and refused to renew and cancel about 600 logging licences.

The issuance of new logging licences were also frozen while some 2,000 officers of the Sarawak Forest Department and the Sarawak Forestry Corporation were warned not to be involved in illegal logging.

Asked about about his popularity among the Chinese community, Adenan said no one should call them immigrants as they have lived in this country for four or five generations.