KOTA KINABALU: 3 July 2026 — Datuk Jaffari Waliam has urged the Chief Minister to ignore Bersih Sabah’s demand to revoke the entry ban against its executive director, Asraf Sharafi, and to continue defending the state’s immigration autonomy.
“I stand firmly behind the Chief Minister’s leadership,” he said, while fully supporting the government’s decision for the sake of the state’s security and interests.
He dismissed Bersih Sabah’s allegations of abuse of power as unfounded, as they contradict their own admission of respecting Sabah’s rights. “If they truly respect Sabah’s autonomy, they must also respect the state government’s decision,” he stressed.
The Community Development Leader for the Gum-Gum state constituency, Jaffari, also said the government is not obliged to disclose the security assessments behind immigration decisions, and rejected accusations of protecting “corruptors” without evidence as political provocation.
He emphasised that immigration decisions are Sabah’s absolute right and should not be influenced by pressure from any party. The people of Sabah, he said, do not want street demonstration culture to be imported into the state.
“Immigration autonomy is a constitutional right that must be defended in the interest of the state and the people of Sabah,” he said.
