As many as 18 WNIs reportedly died in Sabah in 2021, and seven more in the period between January and June 2022. The main cause of those deaths was due to the delay in deportation due to restrictions imposed during the pandemic.
In response to the report, Consular Affairs Coordinator Yusuf Suryanegara said that the Indonesian Consulate General in Kota Kinabalu always monitors the condition of WNIs in three immigration detention depots — Kota Kinabalu, Papar and Sandakan.
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The Indonesian Consulate General in Kota Kinabalu is seeking to repatriate WNIs once the legal process and sentence are completed, including verification and the issuance of travel documents. Currently, he said there are around 230 WNIs held in the three immigration depots, said Yusuf. (rr)