7 Undocumented Migrants Flee Quarantine In Tawau While Waiting For Their COVID-19 Results
They fled in the early hours of Friday, 9 September.
By Sadho Ram — 10 Oct 2020, 10:35 AM
Police in Sabah are looking for seven undocumented migrants who fled quarantine at the Tawau Temporary Detention Centre (PTS)
The seven are part of a group of 14 detainees who had escaped in the wee hours of Friday, 9 October.
According to a report in Bernama last night, Tawau district police chief ACP Peter Umbuas said that while they managed to recapture seven detainees, the other seven are still being tracked.
They were quarantined while waiting for the COVID-19 results
"At 2 am today, 9 September, a supervisor in the PTS hall heard a worker screaming for help as he saw two detainees climbing the back fence in Block 4 and fleeing," ACP Peter said in a statement.
"Further investigation in the men's detention division in Block 1 found that 14 men had escaped, all of them PTS detainees waiting to be sent back to their country of origin."
Six are from the Philippines and one is from Indonesia
ACP Peter identified the six Filipinos as Aidal Girol, 42; Basri Jumbli, 29; Mad Kadir Basir, 36; Dal Mujiral, 40; Talim Tipayan, 36; and Jaladi Benedi, 38, and the Indonesian, Anwar Awal, 35.
Meanwhile, on the issue of undocumented migrants in Sabah, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin released a statement yesterday
According to the Prime Minister's statement, undocumented migrants are "one of the causes" of the current wave of the COVID-19 pandemic spreading in the north Borneo state.
"I have also instructed the Malaysian Immigration Department to focus more on the management of illegal immigrants in Sabah, which has become one of the causes of the Covid-19 pandemic spreading in the state," he said in the statement, as reported by Malay Mail.
"This includes the need to increase the capacity of the Immigration Detention Depots to house these detained illegal immigrants while ensuring all those in detention are not exposed to the risk of contracting COVID-19."
A file photo of undocumented migrants from Indonesia at the Tawau Ferry Terminal.
Image via Malay Mail via BernamaSabah has been recording the most number of COVID-19 cases
As of 9 September, Malaysia has 3,863 active COVID-19 cases. Of which, 2,374 are in Sabah.
Yesterday, the country recorded 354 new COVID-19 cases. Of which, 274 were in the state, which has been recorded three-digit figures for over a week now, according to data analysed by SAYS.
The country recorded six new deaths, all of which were reported in Sabah.
