MALAYSIA plans to deport 150,000 mostly Filipino and Indonesian illegal migrants from Borneo island in a massive operation to begin in August, the deputy prime minister said yesterday.

Najib Razak said foreigners in Sabah, a Malaysian state on the northern tip of Borneo, which has been a magnet for illegal migrants for decades, would be sent home if found without legal visas.

"Large-scale operations will begin in August," Najib told reporters, adding that the cabinet has approved a RM50 million ($22.62 million) budget to fund the operation.

"We target at least 100,000 to 150,000 people to be deported," he said, adding it will be an ongoing programme until the state is clear of illegal migrants.

Najib said the deportations will be carried out by police, immigration authorities and a controversial volunteer squad, RELA, which has been blamed for human rights abuses in the past.Sabah, which lies between the Philippines to the north and Indonesia's Kalimantan to the south, is a popular destination for migrant workers from those countries who labour on construction sites and oil palm plantations.AFP