The former premier says his then deputy was directly involved in granting citizenships to immigrants in Sabah, and accused the latter of acting on his own at times.
PETALING JAYA: Former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad today claimed that his former deputy and current Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim was the main man behind citizenship-for-votes to immigrants in Sabah in the 1990s.
Clearly disputing Anwar’s previous claims of ignorance on the matter, Mahathir said the former was directly involved in the so-called “Project IC”, adding that at times, he (Anwar) had acted without orders from him (Mahathir).
“He normally takes the initiative and sometimes do more [than is required],” online news portal Malaysiakini quoted Mahathir as saying at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur today.
“What happens on the ground is often different from the directive [from above],” added Mahathir.
He said that Anwar and other implementing officers in Sabah had at times failed to follow instructions from him, adding that the government had taken action against these errant officers.
Mahathir was responding to questions if he had ordered Anwar to issue ICs to unqualified immigrants in Sabah so that they could be registered as voters who would support Barisan Nasional.
Mahathir responded by saying that Anwar had a hand in possible illegal actions and abuses, adding that he knew of possible wrongdoings by Anwar.
He also said that he will testify before the ongoing Royal Commission of Inquiry into illegals in Sabah if called
Anwar claimed to be in the dark
Last week, Anwar told reporters that he was ready to testify at the RCI but quickly added that he was also in the dark about the project.
“I have no problem whatsoever. I knew for a long time the project was under the prime minister, that it did not involve a Cabinet process, so it is the full responsibility of the prime minister and finance minister.
“When I was there, even I was not briefed on the issue [of providing citizenship to immigrants],” Anwar said.
He also said that the RCI had not summoned him because “they know I have nothing to do with it”.
Anwar’s response had come following a call from Sabah Umno liaison deputy chief Salleh Said Keruak who had challenged the PKR leader to tell the truth about the illegal immigrants to the RCI tasked with looking into the long-standing problem in the state.
He said that Anwar was duty-bound to do so as he was deputy prime minister at that particular period, adding that “he was a powerful man and knew what was going on in Sabah”.
Jeffrey: Anwar was in charge
Sabah’s veteran politician Jeffrey Kitingan had also expressed hope that Anwar would “tell the truth” if he ends up testifying in the RCI.
“However, I do hope he would tell the truth about his own role in the citizenship fiasco,” Jeffrey told FMT last week.
“From what I know, he was indeed in charge of Sabah [for Umno]. He was the director of operations and was involved actively in the citizenship project,” he added.
“I am very sure he was in the know of what was happening in Sabah at that time.”
“I am sure Anwar, being the second most powerful Umno leader at that period, would not have been ignorant of what the then prime minister and Umno were doing to win at all costs in Sabah,” he said.
“As I said, he knows more about the citizenship project than many others and if he is indeed called up to testify at the RCI, I sincerely hope he would tell the truth,” he said.
Mahathir had previously admitted that the citizenship-for-votes scheme in Sabah had occurred in the 1990s during his premiership.
He, however, had said Sabah’s illegal immigrants deserved their citizenships given that the law allowed for it if a person had stayed in the country for more than 10 years.
“It was a coincidence that they were given citizenship during election time,” he had said.
PETALING JAYA: Former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad today claimed that his former deputy and current Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim was the main man behind citizenship-for-votes to immigrants in Sabah in the 1990s.Clearly disputing Anwar’s previous claims of ignorance on the matter, Mahathir said the former was directly involved in the so-called “Project IC”, adding that at times, he (Anwar) had acted without orders from him (Mahathir).
“He normally takes the initiative and sometimes do more [than is required],” online news portal Malaysiakini quoted Mahathir as saying at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur today.
“What happens on the ground is often different from the directive [from above],” added Mahathir.
He said that Anwar and other implementing officers in Sabah had at times failed to follow instructions from him, adding that the government had taken action against these errant officers.
Mahathir was responding to questions if he had ordered Anwar to issue ICs to unqualified immigrants in Sabah so that they could be registered as voters who would support Barisan Nasional.
Mahathir responded by saying that Anwar had a hand in possible illegal actions and abuses, adding that he knew of possible wrongdoings by Anwar.
He also said that he will testify before the ongoing Royal Commission of Inquiry into illegals in Sabah if called
Anwar claimed to be in the dark
Last week, Anwar told reporters that he was ready to testify at the RCI but quickly added that he was also in the dark about the project.
“I have no problem whatsoever. I knew for a long time the project was under the prime minister, that it did not involve a Cabinet process, so it is the full responsibility of the prime minister and finance minister.
“When I was there, even I was not briefed on the issue [of providing citizenship to immigrants],” Anwar said.
He also said that the RCI had not summoned him because “they know I have nothing to do with it”.
Anwar’s response had come following a call from Sabah Umno liaison deputy chief Salleh Said Keruak who had challenged the PKR leader to tell the truth about the illegal immigrants to the RCI tasked with looking into the long-standing problem in the state.
He said that Anwar was duty-bound to do so as he was deputy prime minister at that particular period, adding that “he was a powerful man and knew what was going on in Sabah”.
Jeffrey: Anwar was in charge
Sabah’s veteran politician Jeffrey Kitingan had also expressed hope that Anwar would “tell the truth” if he ends up testifying in the RCI.
“However, I do hope he would tell the truth about his own role in the citizenship fiasco,” Jeffrey told FMT last week.
“From what I know, he was indeed in charge of Sabah [for Umno]. He was the director of operations and was involved actively in the citizenship project,” he added.
“I am very sure he was in the know of what was happening in Sabah at that time.”
“I am sure Anwar, being the second most powerful Umno leader at that period, would not have been ignorant of what the then prime minister and Umno were doing to win at all costs in Sabah,” he said.
“As I said, he knows more about the citizenship project than many others and if he is indeed called up to testify at the RCI, I sincerely hope he would tell the truth,” he said.
Mahathir had previously admitted that the citizenship-for-votes scheme in Sabah had occurred in the 1990s during his premiership.
He, however, had said Sabah’s illegal immigrants deserved their citizenships given that the law allowed for it if a person had stayed in the country for more than 10 years.
“It was a coincidence that they were given citizenship during election time,” he had said.
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Memang Anwar terlibat ini. Tidak percayakah? Percayalah bahawa Anwar antara dalang dalam semua ini.
Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad tidak menolak penglibatan Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim dalam isu pemberian kad pengenalan dan kewarganegaraan kepada pendatang asing di Sabah.
Bekas Perdana Menteri berkata, perbuatan Anwar itu di luar pengetahuannya kerana tidak pernah memberi arahan tersebut.
"Projek IC (kad pengenalan) itu boleh berlaku tanpa pengetahuan dan arahan daripada atasan.
"Anwar ketika itu memang mempunyai kuasa tetapi apa yang berlaku tidak semestinya atas arahan.
Apa yang Azmin lakukan untuk Anwar tidak berjaya nampaknya.
Tidak mustahil jika Anwar terlibat dalam hal ini. Kerana Anwar adalah orang yang aktif politik untuk Sabah ketika itu.
Bayangkan saja siapakah orangnya yang menubuhkan perjudian dan meluluskan untuk Sabah? Jawapan...
Jawapan adalah Anwar Ibrahim. Memang berkuasa bukan Anwar di Sabah. Dia mampu meluluskan perjudian di SAbah.
Inikan pula hanya projek IC rasanya tidak susah bagi Anwar untuk semua itu. Anwar kan suka berlakon.
Anwar had been aware of the fraudulent granting of citizenship to foreigners who became “phantom voters” for BN candidates during past elections.
Anwar was against a RCI on the matter when he was the then deputy prime minister and as such, is not being sincere in claiming that the opposition had a better solution to the problem.
Even now Anwar was calling for all illegal immigrants to be issued with permanent resident status.
“This is a very dangerous proposition as, under the Federal Constitution, a foreigner who has been given permanent resident status and lives continuously in any part of Malaysia for more than five years, is eligible to apply for citizenship."
“PKR or Pakatan must therefore explain its intention to grant permanent resident status to illegal immigrants without documents if voted to power.”
Menjelang Pilihan Raya Umum (PRU) yang bakal diadakan dalam tempoh dua bulan ini, parti-parti politik semakin rancak dengan genda masing-masing sebagaimana Barisan Nasional yang terus melaksanakan khidmat bakti untuk rakyat sementara pakatan pembangkang pula seakan lebih mudah ‘menangguk di air keruh’, kata penganalisis politik Prof Datuk Dr. Abdul Halim Sidek.
Katanya, pelbagai perkara telah diangkat sebagai isu dengan dijadikan bahan manipulasi termasuklah lima perkara yang sememangnya telah termaktub sebagai perkara sensitif iaitu agama Islam, bahasa kebangsaan, orang Melayu dan bumiputera, hak warganegara dan Raja-raja Melayu.
“Perkara-perkara ini adalah antara yang tidak boleh disentuh tetapi ia telah berjaya disalahfahamkan oleh karektor-karektor dalam politik yang gilakan kuasa sebagaimana kepimpinan dalam DAP dan PKR dan kemudian digawatkan lagi oleh golongan yang bertopengkan agama sebagaimana dalam Pas.
“Mereka ini melakukan kecelaruan fakta dan maklumat sehinggakan masyarakat keliru dan mula terpengaruh dengan apa yang digembar-gemburkan sama ada dalam bentuk ceramah dan penulisan yang kemudiannya menjadi fitnah tanpa mempedulikan kesannya untuk jangka masa panjang.”
Ujar beliau, pakatan pembangkang melemparkan tohmahan kepada kepimpinan dalam Barisan Nasional (BN) dengan label korupsi, rasuah dan macam-macam lagi sehinggakan perkara-perkara negatif ini berlegar dalam masyarakat yang kemudiannya diakui benar oleh segelintir rakyat.
“Pakatan pembangkang memaparkan perkara-perkara yang kotor dalam BN dengan melenyapkan segala perbuatan buruk daripada kepimpinan mereka sendiri walaupun secara nyata d ikalangan anggota pemimpinnya terdapat banyak isu-isu yang tidak dijawab.
“Apabila di internet memaparkan Naib Presiden PKR, Nurul Izzah Anwar mempunyai enam akaun bank di Israel maka ia tidak ditulis atau diterangkan kepada masyarakat, kemudian bagaimana pula dengan akaun Anwar Ibrahim bernilai 3 billion yang didedahkan oleh bekas Penolong Gabenor Bank Negara, bagaimana dengan cerita moralnya, cerita moral Mohamad Sabu suatu ketika dahulu yang ditutup, isu pemberian tanah balak dan macam-macam lagi.”
Tegasnya, pakatan pembangkang mendakwa berlaku kronisme tetapi dalam masa yang sama rakyat ditutup dengan cerita berkaitan mereka sendiri yang mana bapa menjawat Ketua Umum, isteri sebagai Presiden dan anak Naib Presiden sebagaimana dalam PKR sementara dalam DAP bapa, anak dan menantu masing-masing mempunyai kuasa iaitu keluarga Lim Kit Siang dan Karpal Singh yang menjadi pengerusinya pula meletakkan anak-anaknya bertanding di Parlimen dan Dewan Undangan Negeri.
“Pakatan pembangkang kononnya mahukan keadilan apabila membawa kes Teoh Beng Hock walhal ia telahpun diselesaikan dengan baik dari sudut perundangan malah Hakim yang dilantik memberikan keputusan berdasarkan fakta namun ianya turut dijadikan bahan politik sehingga mencetuskan sentimen perkauman biarpun Hakim terbabit turut berbangsa Cina.
“Begitu juga dengan kes Aminur Rashid yang telahpun selesai dari sudut perundangan dengan polis yang mengaku tertembak diambil tindakan tetapi pakatan pembangkang ini terus-terusan menjadikan ia sebagai antara bahan politik untuk memburukkan kerajaan,” katanya.
Terang beliau yang juga pensyarah undang-undang di Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK), pakatan pembangkang juga menggembar-gemburkan berkaitan kebebasan media sehinggakan menuduh kerajaan bersikap tidak adil dan berat sebelah dalam laporan media arus perdana.
“Jika benar mereka bersikap adil dan telus maka laporkanlah juga segala kepincangan dan keburukan yang ada dalam pakatan pembangkang tanpa mengaburkan apa-apa fakta kerana tugas media sebenar adalah bersikap adil dan menyampaikan perkara yang benar.
“Jangankan hanya kerana ketegangan memuncak menjelang PRU ini maka rakyat terus dibohongi dengan segala fakta tanpa pembongkaran kebenaran sebagaimana terkandung dalam media massa mereka walhal rakyat tidak bodoh.”
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim terlibat secara langsung dalam projek untuk memberikan kewarganegaraan dan kad pengenalan kepada pendatang yang tidak layak di Sabah dalam tahun 90-an. Kata Datuk Mahathir.
Anwar tidak diberi arahan secara langsung namun Ahli Parlimen Permatang Pauh itu sering mengambil inisiatif dan kadang-kadang melakukan lebih daripada yang diperlukan. Beliau berkata.
“Beliau biasanya mengambil inisiatif dan kadang-kadang melakukan (lebih daripada yang diperlukan),” kata Dr Mahathir dalam satu sidang akhbar di Kuala Lumpur hari ini.
Dr Mahathir berkata, apa yang berlaku di bawah sering berbeza daripada arahan (dari atas).Beliau berkata, Anwar dan pegawai pelaksana di Sabah pada masa itu bertindak sendiri dan tidak semestinya mengikut arahan.
Dr Mahathir diminta mengulas sama ada beliau pernah mengarahkan Anwar, pada masa itu timbalannya, untuk mengeluarkan IC kepada pendatang yang tidak berkelayakan di Sabah.Katanya, beliau mungkin tidak mempunyai bukti yang boleh dikemukakan di mahkamah, tetapi beliau “mempunyai pengetahuan” mengenai kemungkinan salahlaku Anwar.
Datuk seri Anwar Ibrahim , pernah menolak penubuhan Suruhanjaya Diraja (RCI) bagi mengatasi masalah pendatang asing tanpa izin di negeri ini dan perkara ini harus diketahui oleh rakyat Sabah.
Presiden MCA, Datuk Seri Chua Soi Lek, berkata rakyat Sabah tiak wajar terpedaya dengan dakyah Anwar yang menolak penubuhan suruhanjaya berkenaan ketika menjadi Timbalan Perdana Menteri.
pihak Yang mula-mula memperjuangkan penubuhan RCI adalah Presiden Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS),Tan Sri Joseph Pairin pada 1994.
Anwar menolaknya ketika Pairin membangkitkan perkara berkenaan
mungkin Anwar ingat orang lain sudah lupa mengenainya tetapi bukan saya, saya ingat kata-katanya," katanya
anwar mmg terlibat dalam projek IC,
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