KOTA KINABALU: February 17, 2026 – There is no need for an Indian Consulate in Sabah, and the small number of Indian people in Sabah are Malaysian citizens.
“Sabah also does not need to take in Indian workers because it has more than enough foreign workers from Indonesia and the Philippines, who also speak Bahasa Malaysia.
“Therefore, we do not support the establishment of an Indian Consulate in Sabah. Please do not create new problems for us in Sabah!
“We need a Philippine Consulate, not an Indian Consulate!” asserted Member of Parliament for Keningau, Datuk Seri Panglima Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan, when answering reporters’ questions here today.
Dr. Jeffrey was referring to the concerns and heated discussions among the people of Sabah on all social media platforms regarding the statement by Prime Minister Datuk Anwar Ibrahim, who expressed support for India’s decision to open a new consulate in Kota Kinabalu, during a joint press conference with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 8.
The establishment of the consulate is expected to facilitate trade, investment, planning, education, and cultural exchanges, in addition to strengthening support for the Indian community and businesses operating in the surrounding territory.
However, the Sabah community as a whole has shown concern and questioned the rationale behind the decision.
Many questioned the priority, asking why an Indian consulate is being opened in Sabah, when the Indian community and people of Indian descent in Peninsular Malaysia are larger and more relevant to be provided with consular services.
Strong sentiment indicates that a Philippine consulate in Sabah is more important and urgent, not an Indian consulate, due to the issue of illegal immigrants (Pendatang Tanpa Izin – PATI) from the Philippines, cross-border issues, and the need for consular services for Filipino citizens in Sabah.
Some have also voiced suspicion about the political motives behind the decision, and some social media users speculate that the opening of the Indian consulate may be related to political strategies or specific interests that are not disclosed to the public.
Some users questioned whether the Sabah State Government was fully consulted before the decision was made, arguing that the Sabah State Government should have a stronger voice in determining the priorities and needs of consulates in Sabah.
Some argued that the opening of the Indian consulate may be aimed at increasing investment and economic ties with India, but they emphasized that the economic benefits should be clear and have a positive impact on the people of Sabah as a whole.
In short, while there may be a few who welcome the opening of the Indian consulate, the majority of responses on social media show concern and questions regarding the necessity and priority, especially compared to the urgent need for a Philippine consulate.
Many feel that the voices and needs of the people of Sabah have not been fully taken into account in making the decision.
Dr Jeffrey also proposed that Anwar engage diplomatically with the Philippine President to establish their consulate in Sabah.
According to official statistics, there are a large number and increasing rapidly of Philippine citizens in Sabah, not including those who are stateless but originate from the country.
