Malaysian migrants to be expelled

Malaysia has an uneasy relationship with its migrants

The Malaysian government is to expel tens of thousands of illegal immigrants whose presence has become a political issue on Borneo.

A major deportation operation will begin in the state of Sabah very soon, said deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak.

The immigrants, mainly Filipinos and Indonesians, are seen by some as a great burden in the impoverished eastern state.

"We will deport them to the country willing to accept them," Mr Najib said.

Those to deported will include foreigners without travel or identification documents, including those who have lived unlawfully in Sabah since the 1970s.

Authorities estimate there are around 130,000 illegal immigrants in Sabah.

But the state's politicians insist the real figure is several times that, and claim that foreigners outnumber Malaysians in some provinces.

Although Sabah has vast natural resources, it is one of Malaysia's poorest states - which some residents blame on large numbers of migrants, saying their presence means there are fewer jobs available.