Native Court clearance added for PR status
Published on: Wednesday, June 12, 2024
By: Sidney Skinner
Nora is advised to make meet with Entry Permit Unit officers at the State Immigration Department’s Headquarters inside the Federal Administrative Complex.
THOSE applying for permanent residency in the State have to demonstrate that they have not broken any local customs or committed any infractions in the eyes of the native population before the Immigration Department will endorse any move to approve their applications.
A Department spokeswoman said applicants were obliged to obtain the Native Court’s clearance.
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“They should provide us with a letter of support from the Native Court which states that they have not been found guilty of committing any offences, including those under native customary laws,” she said.
“Only then will the Department extend its endorsement to approve their Permanent Residency entry permit.”
NORA of Luyang said she came to Sabah many years ago from Peninsula Malaysia to work as a teacher.
“Me, my husband and two children applied to become permanent residents in the State back in 2016,” she said.
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“My husband was granted permanent residency a few years later.”
She said she received a copy of a letter from the State Home Affairs and Research Office, under the Chief Minister’s Department, in regards to her application on January 11.
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“The correspondence, which was directed to the State Immigration Department, indicated that the Home Affairs and Research Office did not have any objections to my application provided I fulfilled the immigration requirements which were presently being enforced.”
Nora brought this document to the Department’s office shortly thereafter.
Six months on, she said, her application was still being processed by the agency.
“When I enquired about the hold up, the officer, handling my case, verbally informed me that I would need a letter from the Native Court so that this work could be completed.
“I asked if I could get this instruction in writing but, so far, she has yet to oblige.”
Nora said she was at a loss to understand why she needed a letter from the Native Court, considering she was born in Peninsula Malaysia and did not belong to the Kadazan-Dusun-Murut ethnic group.
The spokeswoman explained that the need for official clearance from the Native Court was not a new development.
“This requirement is among the terms and conditions related to the issuance of the entry permits for permanent residents which the Sabah Immigration Department has adhered to since 18 May 1996.”
Any further queries about this matter should be directed to the agency, according to her.
“The applicant should go in person to our headquarters at the Federal Administrative Complex, off Jalan Mini Putrajaya B, and meet with staff at our Entry Permit Unit.”
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