Latest news with #Sitti
The Star
12 hours ago
- Health
- The Star
Germ Buster Challenge makes hygiene lessons fun for Sabah schoolkids
KOTA KINABALU: To tackle recurring cases of food poisoning in schools, the Sabah Health Department has launched an innovative programme aimed at educating pupils about food safety and hygiene through fun and games. The Germ Buster Challenge 2025 at SK Tanjung Batu Keramat in Tawau last weekend brought together 361 students and 28 teachers from 11 primary schools across the district. Organised by the Health Department's Food Safety and Quality Division, in collaboration with the Tawau district Health and Education offices, the programme featured activities that reinforced the importance of food safety, particularly in school settings. 'Food poisoning in schools is often caused by a mix of factors, from poor hygiene among food handlers to unclean premises and unsafe food storage," said state deputy Health director Sitti Aralas, who launched the programme. "But it also comes down to awareness. 'Through this challenge, we aim to instil basic food safety habits in children from a young age in a fun and memorable way." Two core components of the event were a food safety and hygiene talk and Explorace, an interactive event with challenges linked to hygiene and food safety. The Explorace saw SK Tanjung Batu Keramat emerge as overall champion, followed by SK Jambatan Putih in second place and SK Holy Trinity in third. Sitti said the event highlighted not the need for clean food handling in school canteens and vendors, as well as the importance of encouraging children to practise 'look, smell and taste' before consuming food. 'This is about empowering students with knowledge that can help them stay healthy and even potentially save lives. Good hygiene habits start young,' Sitti added. The organisers intend to help curb food-borne illnesses and promote a culture of cleanliness and awareness in school communities through such proactive education programmes.
Daily Express
13-06-2025
- Daily Express
206 undocumented Filipinos deported from Sabah
Published on: Friday, June 13, 2025 Published on: Fri, Jun 13, 2025 Text Size: Some of the deportees. KOTA KINABALU: A total of 206 undocumented Filipino nationals were deported from Sabah to Zamboanga on Thursday, said State Immigration Director Datuk Sh Sitti Saleha Habib Yussof. The group included 119 adult men, 43 adult women, 28 boys and 16 girls, all of whom were held at the Papar Immigration Depot before repatriation. Advertisement Those deported, aged between 11 months and 63 years, had completed their sentences and held valid travel documents issued by the Philippine Embassy. This latest exercise brings the total number of Filipinos deported from Sabah this year to 4,970, contributing to a cumulative total of 6,273 foreigners repatriated to date. Sitti warned that action would be taken against employers and premises owners who hire undocumented migrants, and urged all recruitment to follow legal procedures. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Daily Express
05-06-2025
- Daily Express
Sandakan crackdown nets 238 illegals
Published on: Thursday, June 05, 2025 Published on: Thu, Jun 05, 2025 By: Winnie Kasmir Text Size: Some of the illegal immigrants detained in Sandakan. SANDAKAN: A 12-hour large-scale immigration crackdown saw 238 undocumented migrants detained here early Wednesday. Sabah Immigration Department Director Datuk Sh Sitti Saleha Habib Yussof said a total of 480 individuals were screened during the operation which began around 1.30am and ended before noon. The integrated operation, codenamed 'Ops Sapu' and 'Ops Mahir', targeted squatter settlements, construction sites and wood-processing factories at four hotspots, including Batu 8 and Batu 10 settlements. The operation involved 71 officers from the Sandakan, Tawau, Lahad Datu and Kota Kinabalu districts, as well as the department's enforcement division. 'The 238 people detained comprise 88 adult men, 88 adult women, 30 boys and 32 girls,' she said. They were detained for not possessing valid documents under Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63, overstaying under Section 15(1)(c), misuse of passes under Section 39(b) and employing undocumented migrants under Section 55B, among other offences. Of that number, 6,058 individuals have been deported to their countries of origin, while 53 employers have been prosecuted. 'We remind employers in Sabah to cooperate by ensuring that their workers have valid travel documents before hiring them, especially in factories or the construction sector, to avoid facing legal action,' said Sitti. She said such enforcement operations will continue in districts, including Semporna, Kota Kinabalu, Tawau and Sandakan, to uphold immigration laws across the State. She warned that action will be taken against employers and premises owners found hiring undocumented foreigners or individuals violating the conditions of their passes. Sitti advised employers to only hire foreign workers through legal channels, saying enforcement operations will be intensified to combat the presence of undocumented migrants. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
The Star
04-06-2025
- General
- The Star
238 undocumented migrants held in Sandakan raids
Undocumented migrants are escorted onto an immigration enforcement truck following a raid in Sandakan. KOTA KINABALU: An immigration crackdown in Sandakan saw 238 undocumented migrants detained within 12 hours during large-scale integrated operations early Wednesday (June 4). The operations, codenamed Ops Sapu and Ops Mahir, targeted squatter settlements, construction sites and wood-processing factories. They began at around 1.30am and covered four hotspots, including Batu 8 and Batu 10 settlements. Sabah Immigration Department director Datuk Sh Sitti Saleha Habib Yussof said a total of 480 individuals were screened during the raids, which ended before noon. The operations involved 71 officers from the Sandakan, Tawau, Lahad Datu and Kota Kinabalu districts, as well as the department's enforcement division. 'The 238 people detained comprise 88 adult men, 88 adult women, 30 boys and 32 girls,' she said in a statement. They were detained for not possessing valid documents under Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63, overstaying under Section 15(1)(c), misuse of passes under Section 39(b), and employing undocumented migrants under Section 55B, among other offences. To date, 2,730 undocumented migrants have been detained across Sabah this year, out of more than 13,850 people checked. Of that number, 6,058 individuals have been deported to their countries of origin, while 53 employers have been prosecuted. 'We remind employers in Sabah to cooperate by ensuring that their workers have valid travel documents before hiring them, especially in factories or the construction sector, to avoid facing legal action,' said Sitti. She said such enforcement operations will continue in districts including Semporna, Kota Kinabalu, Tawau and Sandakan to uphold immigration laws across the state. Meanwhile, on Tuesday (June 3), the department carried out a repatriation programme involving 127 undocumented migrants, transferring them from the Tawau Immigration Depot to Nunukan, Indonesia via ferry. Those deported included 105 adult men, 19 adult women, three boys and one girl, ranging in age from one month to 64 years. The children sent back were accompanied by their parents or legal guardians. The detainees were found to have violated Sections 15(1)(c) and 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 for overstaying and entering the country without valid documentation. They had completed their prison terms and were returned after their travel documents were processed. All have been blacklisted in the department's system according to the nature of their offences. To date, 1,173 Indonesian nationals have been deported via sea, contributing to the overall figure of 6,053 foreign nationals repatriated this year. Immigration has warned that action will be taken against employers and premises owners found hiring undocumented foreigners or individuals violating the conditions of their passes. It urged employers to only hire foreign workers through legal channels, adding that enforcement operations will be intensified to combat the presence of undocumented migrants.
Borneo Post
23-05-2025
- Borneo Post
15 Filipino, Indian illegal immigrants held in Sabah
One of the illegal immigrants arrested during the operation yesterday. KOTA KINABALU (May 23): Fifteen Filipino and Indian illegal immigrants were detained by the Sabah Immigration Department during raids on four eateries yesterday. State Immigration Director SH Sitti Saleha Habib Yussof said 64 individuals were inspected during the 7pm operation, with 15 arrested for various immigration offenses. 'Those detained lacked valid identification documents or violated their pass conditions. They were taken to the Immigration detention depot for further investigation and legal action,' she said in a statement today. In a separate operation, 305 Indonesian illegal immigrants — comprising 196 men, 53 women, 27 boys, and 29 girls, aged one month to 82—were deported to Nunukan, Indonesia. They had been held at the Kota Kinabalu and Papar Immigration deportation centers for violations under the Immigration Act 1959/63 and Immigration Regulations 1963. Sitti noted that 1,046 Indonesians have been deported so far this year, contributing to a total of 5,916 illegal immigrants repatriated under Sabah's foreign prisoner transfer program. She warned that more enforcement operations will be conducted and urged foreign workers to ensure they possess valid documents.
