SEMPORNA, July 27 – The census conducted by the Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCOM) recorded a total of 28,000 people in the Pala’u community in Sabah, said Home Minister, Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
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.
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.
