Malaysia deports Indonesian illegal migrants

Malaysia deported nearly 500 undocumented Indonesian workers today, in what analysts said was part of a push to clamp down on illegal labour as the economy starts to slow.

The workers were brought in shackles to the Subang Airport, near Kuala Lumpur, where Indonesian officials said they would be loaded onto military C-130 aircraft to be flown to their native country.

Another 200 will be deported tomorrow, Indonesia's ambassador to Malaysia Herman Prayitno said, adding that more illegal workers may be sent back next year.

Muhammad Arifuddin, who worked as a labourer in construction for four years in Malaysia before being arrested, said he hopes to return to seek legal employment.

"I will try to get the legal documents and return to Malaysia to work," the 36-year-old told AFP.

Malaysia draws migrants from across the region and even from South Asian nations such as India, Nepal and Bangladesh.

More than six million foreign migrants, most of them illegals, are thought to work in factories, plantations, restaurants and in other jobs largely shunned by more affluent Malaysians.

But Yeah Kim Leng, dean of Malaysia University of Science and Technolgy, said it looked like authorities were clamping down on illegal workers as growth has started to slow.

"The Malaysian economy is softening. The deportation of the illegal migrants seems to coincide with the economic slowdown," he told AFP.

Kuala Lumpur in October forecast solid economic growth of between 5-6% next year, but the World Bank recently trimmed its forecast to 4.7% , citing lower exports and weaker commodity and oil prices. – AFP, December 23, 2014.

- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/malaysia-deports-indonesian-illegal-migrants#sthash.R0PumzbJ.dpuf

Caning for Immigration staff bringing in illegals

Government will take the matter to Parliament if the Immigration Act needs amendment, says home minister.

FMT

PUTRAJAYA: After suggesting mandatory caning for agents found guilty of bringing in illegals, the Home Ministry wants the same for immigration officers involved in such activities.

Home Minister Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said discussions towards implementing the punishment would begin this week involving the ministry’s legal adviser, Immigration Department and attorney-general’s chambers.

“We want to propose (mandatory caning) to the government after the discussions because I think jail and fine are insufficient as deterrents.

“We will take the matter to Parliament if the Immigration Act needs amendment, or we will just enter a clause on the punishment to existing regulations.

“Although collusions involving Immigration Department personnel and agents of foreign workers were isolated cases, the proposal was necessary to protect the department’s good name.

“It is better to be a bit embarrassed now rather than be humiliated later, on matters of eradication of illegal workers,” he told a media conference after attending the ‘Immigration Day’ celebration here today.

Ahmad Zahid said the punishment would help in efforts to wipe out bad elements who tarnished the department’s image and simultaneously, reduce the possibility of incidents such as the flash floods in Cameron Highlands, Pahang, recently.

“I focus on the Immigration Department because according to the anti-corruption report tabled recently by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission to the Cabinet, the department is at the top among 10 agencies and departments,” he said, adding that the police were also included in the list.

However, Ahmad Zahid noted that behind the negative perception, the Immigration Department, via its enforcement division, had succeeded in reducing illegal foreign workers.

During the ceremony, the minister also launched a RM10 border pass which was valid for a year to enter Malaysia/Thailand, to replace the normal A4 size printed document for Malaysians who have stayed more than a year in Kedah, Kelantan, Perlis and Hulu Perak district.

– BERNAMA

Sultan wants all illegals out of Pahang, says report

Following his outburst against palace insiders who had issued “yellow letters” allowing illegal land clearing in Cameron Highlands, Pahang Sultan Ahmad Shah (pic) now says all illegal immigrants in the state should be deported.

“You had better tell these undesirable ­workers we mean business. They can no ­longer encroach on Pahang without permission,” he was quoted as saying by The Star today.

“We must not allow them to wander around, not only in Cameron Highlands, (but) in other districts in Pahang as well.”

He added in the report that there was a plan to get rid of all illegal foreign workers in the state, expressing confidence that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak would be able to help.

“My prime minister is from Pahang. I will appeal to him personally on behalf of my people,” he was quoted as saying.

Sultan Ahmad Shah also praised Najib as a “working prime ­minister” who was doing a good job.

The sultan’s statement comes in the midst of a crackdown on illegal immigrants in the state, following the event of mudslides and floods on November 5, which saw five dead and another five injured.

Illegal land clearing is believed to have caused the mudslides in Ringlet and Bertam Valley.

Yesterday, the Pahang ruler said the state government would work hard to resolve the issue of illegal immigrants not only in Cameron Highlands but also other districts in the state.

Sultan Ahmad Shah also said the state needed Putrajaya’s aid as it did not have enough resources to deal with the problem alone. – November 21, 2014.

- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/sultan-wants-all-illegals-out-of-pahang-says-report#sthash.J8kPqCNe.dpuf

'With MyKad, Umno signs up Indians, Pakistanis'

A Sabah opposition leader has claimed that Indonesians, Pakistanis and Indian nationals are being issued with MyKad and recruited as Umno members.

Describing this as a new threat to the state, State Reform Party chief Jeffrey Kitingan said reliable sources have revealed that while there is a drop in the issuance of MyKads to Filipinos, there is an alleged increase with regard to other foreigners.

"Even Bugis (Indonesian) and Indian NGOs are reportedly involved in assisting the newcomers to obtain MyKads and recruiting them as Umno members and voters for hire," he added.

If the track record of the "Filipino Project IC holders" is to be used as a yardstick, Jeffrey said the Indonesians, Pakistanis and Indian nationals are a "time bomb".

"It is only a matter of time before these 'new' Malaysians recruited for political purposes explode with their own brand of problems, including the risk of imported Islamic State (IS) militancy. 

"If the defence minister is to be believed, there is also the threat of IS militancy from these foreigners," he warned in a statement.

He said these threats were not just cross-border kidnappings for ransom, which have been made worse by the authorities paying huge sums for the release of the victims. 

Jeffrey called for concerted efforts and additional measures to safeguard Sabah's security in the long-term.

'Issue special MyKad for Sabahans'

Some of these measures should include the issuance of special MyKad for Sabahans, separate identity cards for non-residents and the setting up of Sabah's own Homeland Security network.

Not to be excluded, Jeffrey said, should be national and regional efforts to involve all groups, not just regional factions like the Bangsa Moro Peace Framework and to develop the local economies of neighbouring countries bordering Sabah.

"With development and improving economies and security, their nationals will stay in their home countries, rather than venture across the Sulu and Sulawesi seas to find work in Sabah. 

"These measures will make Sabah safer and eventually there will be no necessity for the Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom)," added the Bingkor assemblyperson.

On the budget allocation for Esscom, Jeffrey advised Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to stop pulling wool over the eyes of Sabahans on the security of their state by arguing that Esscom is the long-term solution for security.

"Esscom is not a long-term solution to Sabah's security and the RM660 million allocation in the 2015 Budget does not seriously reduce the security threats against Sabah.

"The building of two camps and additional 1,280 personnel are perhaps the only addition to Esscom’s capability. The emoluments and operating costs of the 1,280 personnel would probably only cost less than RM50 million," he said.

"Minus these additional costs and the cost of the two camps, the bulk of the RM660 million would actually be emoluments and operating costs for the existing security personnel. 

"This is essentially paper shuffling of costs from their original bases to their Esscom bases in Sabah. It is nothing new in this portion of the budget allocation for Esscom," he added.

Just putting up camps and additional security personnel, Jeffrey said, are mere policing and not preventive action to reduce security threats.

Similarly, he added, imposing night-to-dawn curfews is a policing measure, which may be advantageous to the authorities, but a hindrance to the fishing and tourism industries.

"Esscom or the overall security strategy for Sabah must incorporate and cover comprehensive and wide measures to protect Sabah. High on the priority list must be a genuine solution to the illegal immigrants and the monster created by Project IC.

"This monster has already spread to the peninsula, as can be seen from the arrests of security guards, taxi drivers and others there for carrying fake Sabah MyKad," he added.

Malaysia, Indonesia To Cooperate In Registering Workers Without Permit

PUTRAJAYA, Sept 26 (Bernama) -- Malaysia and Indonesia will cooperate in registering Indonesian workers who have entered Malaysia legally, but have no working permit, Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said.

He said the programme would be carried out by the Indonesian Embassy here starting on Oct 15.

Under the programme, all registered Indonesian workers in Malaysia will receive a worker's card, with the color differs from sector to sector," he told reporters after meeting Indonesian Manpower and Transmigration Minister Muhaimin Iskandar here on Thursday.

"The card will also replace the Journey Perform Visa which will be abolished by Sept 30," he said.

However, Ahmad Zahid said to prevent congestion at the Indonesian Embassy, the Malaysian government would take the initiative to identify and call the employers to complete the documentation process in stages according to their sectors.

"We will write a letter asking them to come to the embassy with all the relevant papers to complete the documentation for their workers," he said.

He said the programme would be carried out for three months, with the aimed to tackle the issue involving 490,000 foreign workers in this country who have valid passport but without working passes.

In another development the minister said the Indonesian government had agreed to reduce the cost of hiring Indonesian maids to RM7,800 from RM8,000 previously and to speed up the hiring process to only 42 days from 80 days previously.

-- BERNAMA

Five Pakistanis admit getting 'express citizenship' in Sabah

Five Pakistanis have confessed that they obtained Malaysian citizenship from agents in Sabah during their first visit to Malaysia, and some of them have voted five times in the elections.

The latest case of ‘express citizenship’ was front-paged by Malay daily Sinar Harian today after its reporters visited one of the Pakistanis at his house in the Hutan Melintang state constituency in Perak.

They were detected by the Bagan Datoh PKR division during the process of examining the electoral roll.

It was found that four of the Pakistanis have been listed as voter in the electoral roll and all of them stay in the same house.

“When we were examining the voter list, we suspected the five names listed because they stay in the same house and are of Pakistani ethnicity,” Hutan Melintang PKR election director A Ganeson told the daily.

The party then visited the five at their house located in Taman Hutan Melintang and discovered that all of them have new MyKad, except one who holds the old identity card (IC).

"Five men aged between 30 and 40 claimed they obtained their ICs when they entered Malaysia for the first time.

All obtained ICs in Sabah

"They claimed that all of them obtained the ICs in Sabah through agents before moving to the peninsula," Ganeson said.

They also told him that some of them had voted in the elections as many as five times.

To verify Ganeson’s allegation, Sinar Harian went to the house together with PKR workers and met two of the five Pakistanis, while the others were not around.

After being told that the visitors were to conduct an election examination, the two cooperated and showed their ICs.

One of the two, Ali Hamsir, 54, also asked to have his old IC changed to a MyKad.

Asked how they obtained their ICs, Ali confirmed that all of them were brought to Sabah when they first entered the country, before they started working in the peninsula.

"I am married. My family is in Pakistan and every year I go back to visit them. To go there we need to apply for (Malaysian) passports because we are now Malaysians," he said.

PKR’s assemblyperson for Hutan Melintang, S Kesavan, told the daily that he is mulling over lodging a police report over the issue after the party finishes examining the electoral roll.

'EC has nothing to do with issuance of MyKad'

On the other hand, the Election Commission deputy chairperson Wan Ahmad Wan Omar clarified that his commission has nothing to do with the issuance of suspicious MyKad.

According to him, any voter whose name is in the electoral roll and has been verified by the EC as a voter has the right to vote.

"When the individual shows his or her MyKad and we check that his name exists (in the electoral roll), then he has the absolute right to vote.

"The story before that (on the issuance of MyKad) is not an issue," he was quoted as saying.

Wan Ahmad also called on the public, especially political parties, not to "sensationalise such stories".

National Registration Department director-general Jariah Mohd Said declined to comment, saying that she needs to study the allegation first before making any statement.

Ex-Umno Member: 500,000 Blue ICs Issued To Immigrants Under Mustapha Harun’s Orders

Boo Su-Lyn and Emily Ding, TMI

About 500,000 blue identity cards (ICs) were given to Filipino and Indonesian immigrants in Sabah in the early 1990s under the orders of then-Sabah Umno chief Tun Datu Mustapha Harun, a former Umno member said today.

Siti Aminah Mahmud, who worked voluntarily in the Umno office in Kota Kinabalu, said today that the now-deceased Mustapha, who was the third chief minister of Sabah from 1967 to 1975, had told her that the ICs were issued to overthrow the Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) government.

“Datu Mustapha said this is (Tun) Dr Mahathir (Mohamad)’s project. Don’t be afraid of getting caught,” Siti Aminah told a press conference at the PKR headquarters here today, relating Mustapha’s briefing to her and other Umno members in Kota Kinabalu in 1990.

“Datu Mustapha said it was to increase the number of Malay voters to take down PBS,” added the 62-year-old woman.

About 500,000 blue ICs were given to Filipino and Indonesian immigrants in Sabah in the early 1990s. Siti Aminah said that she and other Umno members worked together with the National Registration Department (NRD) and village heads to issue about 500,000 blue ICs to Filipino and Indonesian immigrants from 1990 to 1994 in several areas of Sabah, including Tawau, Sandakan, Lahad Datu, Kota Kinabalu, and Semporna.

She added that she was detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) from 1995 to 1997 for allegedly issuing fake ICs and falsifying NRD documents.

The 1994 Sabah state election saw PBS winning just 25 of the 48 state assembly seats.

But several PBS assemblymen defected to Barisan Nasional (BN) shortly after, causing the collapse of the PBS government.

Mustapha, who had founded the United Sabah National Organisation (USNO), is considered Sabah’s father of independence for his role in negotiating the state’s independence in 1963, before dying in 1995 at the age of 76.

USNO joined forces with former Sabah Chief Minister Tan Sri Harris Salleh’s Berjaya to form Sabah Umno after PBS defeated Berjaya in the 1990 state election.

Dr Mahathir, Malaysia’s longest-serving prime minister who was in power from 1981 to 2003, has been accused of spearheading the so-called “Project IC”, in which citizenship was allegedly given to immigrants for their votes.

Dr Mahathir told a press conference last month that foreigners in Sabah had indeed received citizenship, but stressed that it was “within the law”.

Harris, who administered the state from 1976 to 1985, has denied at the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on the illegal immigrant problem in Sabah of the existence of “Project IC”.

More than a quarter of Sabah’s population are foreigners, totalling a staggering 889,000 out of the 3.2 million-strong population in Sabah, or about 28 per cent, based on a 2010 census.

Sabah has 926,638 voters, according to a June report in English-language daily The Star.

Siti Aminah said today that one IC number would be issued to 20 or 30 people.

“One address is also used by 20 people,” she said.

“In one area, there’ll be a leader who will gather people. Once we reach, we’ll get their names. We don’t ask about their religions. We’ll see if they have Muslim names. If they don’t, we’ll change their names to Muslim names. Then we’ll take their pictures and thumb prints and send it to the Umno office,” she added.

Siti Aminah said the blue ICs would be processed in about a month and delivered in sacks to village heads.

“We’ll tell the village head, ‘Tok, please instruct the villagers to vote for Umno’,” she added.

Siti Aminah, who is now a PKR member, said she was unaware if the immigrants had paid for the ICs.

Senior Special Branch officer Supt Ahmad Fauzan Mohamad testified at the RCI last week that a syndicate involving then-Sabah NRD directors had made at least RM11 million from selling ICs to illegal immigrants in Sabah.

He also said that none of the 94 people, who were arrested under the ISA from 1995 to 2001 for their involvement in the syndicate, were ever charged in court.

Then-Sabah NRD director Ramli Kamarudin told the RCI last month that then-Deputy Home Minister, the late Tan Sri Megat Junid Megat Ayub, had ordered him to issue NRD receipts, which matched the names and IC numbers of registered voters, to immigrants.

Ramli had said that about 200 NRD receipts were issued in five or six state constituencies each, which the government considered difficult to win, before the 1994 Sabah state election.

Siti Aminah said she has not yet been called to testify at the RCI.

She also stressed that Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who was then Dr Mahathir’s deputy, was never mentioned in “Project IC”.

“Anwar had fought with Datu Mustapha and Megat Junid over Project IC,” she said.

Siti Aminah also said that according to Mustapha, “Project IC” started during Harris’ administration and was codenamed “03”, as well as “04” and “05” during Mahathir’s administration.

Majority of voters unhappy with ‘Project IC’ as Sabah RCI continues

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 26 – Nearly nine out of 10 voters disagree with Putrajaya’s past moves in granting
An independent poll shows that 86 per cent of voters in Peninsular Malaysia disagreed with the government’s past action that has seen the foreign population boom in the Borneo state and earned it the moniker ‘Project IC’. – Reuters pic
citizenship to Indonesians and Filipinos to live and vote in Sabah, according to the latest voter survey amid an ongoing royal investigation into the flood of foreigners there for the past 20 years.

Independent pollster Merdeka Center For Opinion Research, which surveyed 1,021 voters in Peninsular Malaysia at the end of January, reported today 86 per cent saying they disagreed with the government’s past action that has seen the foreign population boom in the Borneo state and earned it the moniker “Project IC”.

The survey also found 60 per cent of voters saying they believed a large number of foreigners were still getting the blue-coloured identity cards marking their status as citizens.

The longstanding issue of illegal immigrants that has continued unchecked for decades has turned emotive among Sabah natives like the Kadazandusun and Murut communities, many of whom feel that the state has been robbed of its sovereignty through the massive influx of foreigners from neighbouring Philippines and Indonesia.

More than a quarter of Sabah’s population are foreigners, totalling a staggering 889,000 out of the 3.2 million-strong population in Sabah, or about 28 per cent, based on a 2010 census.

Sabah has 926,638 voters, according to a June report in English-language daily The Star.

The large number of foreigners has also worried Sabah natives, who often blame them for the rise in crime and for stealing job opportunities.

More than 100 armed Filipino gunmen intruded into Lahad Datu on February 9, claiming ties with a Sulu sultanate that gives them ownership of Sabah. They have since refused to leave.

Recognising the political significance of Sabah’s illegals problem, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had agreed to form a royal commission of inquiry (RCI) to look into it.

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Malaysia’s longest-serving prime minister who was in power from 1981 to 2003, has been accused of spearheading the so-called “Project IC”, in which citizenship was allegedly given to immigrants for their votes.

But former Sabah Chief Minister Tan Sri Harris Salleh, who administered the state from 1976 to 1985, has denied at the RCI of the existence of “Project IC”.

Dr Mahathir told a press conference last month that foreigners in Sabah had indeed received citizenship, but stressed that it was “within the law”.

The inquiry before a five-member panel led by former Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Tan Sri Steve Shim Lip Kiong resumes on March 5.

The January 23 to February 6 survey, which was funded internally by the Merdeka Center, aimed to gauge voters’ perceptions of issues in the run up to the 13th general election due soon. It had a margin error of three per cent.

The research house said the survey took place after the January 12 People’s Uprising rally backed by Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders in the national capital here as well as the ongoing media coverage of the Sabah citizenship-for-votes royal inquiry.

It noted that other issues that formed the talking point to its survey included carpet dealer Deepak Jaikishan’s and former Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan’s statements controversial statements against the government, and the “Allah” religious dispute.

Anwar and Pak Lah not in on Project IC, says ex-honcho

A former mastermind in the Project IC debacle during the late 1980s and early 1990s, said PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim and former premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi were never involved in the operation.

Mat Swadi Awi, a former Bank Pertanian Malaysia manager based in Kota Kinabalu during the mid 1980s, recounted to Harakah Daily today his role in Project IC with the late Usno president, Datu Mustapha Datu Harun.

In the interview, Mat Swadi, who claims to be a Pak Lah loyalist, laid out his involvement in the whole affair and maintained the involvement of former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad in the whole affair, and admitted being the mastermind to bring Umno to Sabah and remove Usno from the map.

“Anwar is not involved in Project IC as everyone in Umno knows that Anwar is not ‘bedfellows’ with (Mahathir’s right hand man) the late Megat Junid Megat Ayub (right) and Abdul Aziz Shamsudin.

“Furthermore, Mustapha was also hurt with Anwar, so how could he (Anwar) have been involved in Project IC. I do not fault Anwar for wanting to drag Abdullah into the whole affair with the royal commission of inquiry, and this is probably to get back at Mahathir.

“Abdullah, on the other hand, did not need such projects to raise his name. Everyone knew Abdullah would never do such things as he comes from a religious family,” said Mat Swadi.

Mat Swadi (left), who has however not been called as a witness at the present RCI, related that his earlier involvement during the 1980s was to help Usno and Mustapha regain power from PBS, and he was in the inner circle of Mustapha to achieve this objective.
He added that an increase in 20,000 voters was registered and distributed in areas which were focussed on by Usno, and he related how he had met with Megat Junid at Mustapha’s residence in Petaling Jaya.

“I also had dealings with the army and police, where we worked closely with them and I was introduced to the Election Commission secretary, Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman,” he said.

Project IC continues in peninsula

Mat Swadi said that Mahathir wanted to make sure that PBS fell following its threats that the state would leave the federation, and in that he put his support on Usno to do this.

However, all efforts were in vain when Mahathir orchestrated Umno’s move into Sabah, where the former premier appointed Mustapha’s deputy in Usno, Sakaran Dandai, to head the state Umno liaison committee.

“In 1994, while visiting Mustapha at the hospital, he confided to me that it was Mahathir’s hidden long-term plan to bring Umno into Sabah. Mustapha disbanded Usno on Mahathir’s advice with the hope of being appointed as Sabah Umno liason chief. Instead, Sakaran, who is Shafie Apdal’s uncle, was appointed. 

“With tears flowing, and a weak body, Mustapha (left) told me that it was as if Umno had put a sword to his head, when Mahathir appointed Sakaran to head Umno whereas he was still alive,” said the former bank manager.

He added that the Project IC continues in peninsula Malaysia, where in Johor, Indonesians had been given citizenship and blue identity cards and were briefed to ensure Umno-BN wins. 

“Threats were also made that if the (Indonesians) do not vote for Umno-BN, the Election Commission (EC) would detect their votes and then their citizenship would be revoked. What is surprising is that while the Indonesian votes are sought, at the same time they are being sidelined with actions being taken against them.

“The Indonesians who have become Malaysian citizens should know that they are being used by Umno. They should reject Umno in this coming election,” he said.

Mat Swadi said the post-Abdullah era had seen Umno losing its direction and objective, as the party had deviated from its original cause.  

IGP must investigate electoral roll fraud now

COMMENT The South African Institute for Race Relations report says there are 42,000 people over the age of 100 and some over 120 years old in the voters roll of Zimbabwe.
This is a country with a life expectancy of 43 years.
But still Tobaiwa Mudede, the equivalent of Malaysia's Election Commission (EC) chairperson, claims that no fraud had ever been practiced in preparing Zimbabwe's electoral roll.

In comparision, at the Sabah RCI on illegal immigrants, a former NRD officer Mohd Nasir Sugip, revealed in ‘Ops Durian Buruk' that he and others processed some 40,000 application forms for blue identity cards which signify Malaysian citizenship.

These were meant to be distributed to immigrants in Sabah, believed to be in exchange for votes.

They were based in the house of Abdul Aziz Shamsuddin, the then-political secretary to then premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad (right).

Yet, our EC chairperson, in April 2012, claimed that "no other country in the world has a cleaner electoral roll than ours".

The most prevalent issues in Zimbabwe's electoral roll are the issuance of instant or faked personal identification papers and fictitious addresses.

We are facing exactly the same problem.
Similar game plan
Mudede is believed to have started his shenanigans sometime in 1980.
From the revelations made during the Sabah RCI we can say that the game here started about the same time or slightly earlier and came to its peak in the 1990s during Ops Durian Buruk.

I do not know if it was our EC which copied Mudede's methods or the other way round, or both coincidentally shared the same ideas.

However if the Zimbabweans could still get together to challenge Mudede's roll in spite of them having to face more dangerous and threatening circumstances than what we face, we should be able to do better if we all challenge the EC's roll together.

I last week suggested that the Selangor state government take up the task by challenging the gazette instead of challenging the roll head-on.

Silence of the IGP

I am really puzzled as to how the inspector-general of police (IGP) has been able to remain silent without stating his position since the start of the Sabah RCI more than two weeks ago.

The issue has escalated into a personal vendetta between Mahathir and opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim since two days ago.

Although Mahathir and Anwar (left) have both declared their willingness to testify before the RCI if called, it must be made clear that their testimonies will not bring any changes to the already tainted electoral roll.

The IGP and attorney-general Gani Patail, in particular, must be bold and frank enough to explain to citizens that evidence given by witnesses in a RCI, is not admissible in any civil or criminal proceedings whatsoever against the person who gave the evidence, except when the person is charged with giving false evidence. That's all. (Section 11 RCI Act 1950.)
The RCI chairperson is not like a judge who is empowered to pronounce a verdict whether a person is guilty of an offence or not.
Nor can the chairperson decide to institute, conduct or discontinue a criminal proceedings like an AG can.

Citizens at the moment seem to have high expectations that action will be taken against those perpetrators or masterminds once the RCI concludes its enquiry.

The citizens must be told of the RCI's actual mechanism. They should not continuously be deceived nor given false hopes like what Gani Patail (right) did a couple of days ago, saying that he will do something when the RCI is concluded, especially so since Sabah is his home state.

Gani should inform the rakyat that even he as the AG cannot charge a person with any criminal offence based solely on a RCI report.

He has to rely on an investigation paper put up by a proper investigative body such as the police or the MACC depending on the nature and classification of the crimes committed and the laws applied.

Both Gani and I have gone through this process before in the 1998 ‘black-eye' incident involving Anwar and then-IGP Rahim Noor (left).
Even though the former IGP's admission was recorded during the RCI established to investigate that incident, the AG had to rely on my investigation papers and what I had recommended when charging Rahim Noor.
It was not based on the RCI final report or its recommendations.

That's the reason why I am harping on the IGP to commence investigations right away and not wait for the completion of the Sabah RCI before deciding on his next course of action.

I am making this suggestion based on my experiences and the laws and not at my whim and fancy.
Dr M and Anwar can volunteer
As for Mahathir and Anwar, who are in some ways implicated in the Projek IC, both of them are entitled to be represented by their own advocates at the inquiry after getting leave from the commissioners. Both Mahathir and Anwar do not have to wait to be called. They can take their own initiatives to appear before the RCI. This is provided for under Section 18 of the RCI Act 1950.

I am sure both of them are familiar with this rule, especially since both had been involved in some way in the black eye incident RCI.

There's no need for either of them to declare their willingness to testify at the Sabah RCI only through the press. If they are sincere and have nothing to hide, or if they are not involved at all, then they should put in their bid to be represented at the RCI at the next hearing date.

They can also apply to have their testimonies given through a statutory declaration. That method is easier. There are many ways to do it, if they really want it done.

---

MAT ZAIN IBRAHIM is former chief of the Kuala Lumpur Criminal Investigation Department.

Mahathir behind Project IC, says Anwar

The opposition leader points his fingers at former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamed instead.
UPDATED

PETALING JAYA: Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim today reiterated his stance that he had nothing to do with the citizenship-for-votes granted to Sabah immigrants in the 1990s.

Instead, he accused former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad of being responsible for the task force allegedly responsible for the citizenships granted to the immigrants.

He also claimed that the exercise was ongoing and suggested that the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) haul up Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and former premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as well.

“I am ready for the [Royal Commission of Inquiry]. You can ask all the ministers, it was never discussed with me in the Cabinet, there are no minutes no reports, no related records,” Anwar said at a press conference today.

“Because the task force [to oversee Project IC] was managed by the then prime minister and handed over to (Mahathir’s political secretary) Aziz Shamsuddin and (former Deputy Home Minister Tan Sri) Megat Junid (Megat Ayub),” claimed Anwar.

“This is Mahathir’s method [to make accusations against me]; but can he deny that he is responsible for founding the taskforce? All the reports were to his knowledge. He must answer this first.”

Yesterday, Mahathir had claimed his former deputy was the main man behind the so-called “Project IC”, which is now under probe by the RCI.

He said that there were times when Anwar had acted without his orders, and that the exercise was Anwar’s own initiative.

“He normally takes the initiative and sometimes do more [than is required],” online news portal Malaysiakini quoted Mahathir as saying.

“What happens on the ground is often different from the directive [from above],” added Mahathir.

Last week, Anwar had stated his willingness to testify in the ongoing RCI, but was quick to add that he was in the dark about the project.

He also said that the RCI had not summoned him because “they know I have nothing to do with it”.

Today, Anwar again said that he would readily testify before the RCI.

“As I said from the beginning, I am prepared to be investigated,” he stressed.

The ongoing RCI has opened a can of worms for the Barisan Nasional government as it has implicated ministers and those linked to politicians in a plot allegedly aimed to secure the ruling coalition’s hold on Sabah.

Two weeks ago, a former Sabah NRD assistant registrar had testified that 100,000 blue identity cards were given to Filipino, Indonesian and Pakistani immigrants in Sabah in 1993.

The late Megat Junid Megat Ayub, who was then deputy Home Minister, had also been accused of ordering the NRD to issue temporary documents to allow immigrants to vote in a 1994 state election.

The officers testified claimed they operated from the house of Aziz Shamsuddin, who was Mahathir’s political secretary.

Although Mahathir has admitted to the project, he stressed it was all done legally and even likened the exercise to the first premier Tunku Abdul Rahman’s granting of citizenship.

Meanwhile, Sabah Umno liaison deputy chief Salleh Said Keruak had challenged Anwar to tell the truth about the project as he was deputy minister at that particular period was “a powerful man” who “knew what was going on in Sabah.”

Sabah’s veteran politician Jeffrey Kitingan had also expressed hope that Anwar would “tell the truth” about his role in “the citizenship fiasco” if he ends up testifying in the RCI.

“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,” Jeffrey told FMT last week.

I had nothing to do with Project IC, reiterates Anwar

Anwar Ibrahim continues to deny any role in Project IC in Sabah, saying this matter was never brought to the cabinet, and neither did he attend or chair any meeting on it.

The opposition leader also alleged that the project to grant blue identity cards to immigrants did not end in the 1990s and that it continued during the reign of former prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and went on until last year, covering Najib Abdul Razak's reign as well.
“You can ask the then cabinet ministers... the Project IC task force report was never brought to or discussed by the cabinet.
“There are no minutes to show I attended such task force meetings, and there was no report on this presented to me as finance minister and the deputy prime minister.
"This task force was handled by the then PM Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his right-hand man Abdul Aziz Shamsuddin (Mahathir's political secretary then) and the late Megat Junid Megat Ayub (who was deputy home minister at that time)," Anwar (left) said.

The Permatang Pauh MP said the task force continued under Abdullah and Najib's time until last year and he believes they, as prime ministers, headed the Project IC task force.

He said this when asked about the claim by Mahathir yesterday that Anwar was involved in Project IC.
Mahathir had said while he may not have evidence implicating Anwar, his former deputy “had a hand in it”  and that what took place may have included illegal actions and abuse of processes.

The former PM added that while he may not have evidence that could be adduced in court, he "has knowledge" of the possible wrongdoings by Anwar.
Can Mahathir deny responsibility?

The PKR de facto leader, who was deputy prime minister under Mahathir, went on to reiterate that he was willing to testify before the royal commission of inquiry on immigrants in Sabah if called to do so.
Earlier, Anwar joked on the issue, asking why the press wanted to question him on Mahathir's comments as it was something obsolete, and why in the presence of the Hamas representatives.

Anwar then asked whether Mahathir would deny forming the Project IC task force.

“He appointed Abdul Aziz and Megat Junid and all the reports were handed directly to him (Mahathir). This is something Mahathir must answer,” he said.

In the ongoing royal commission of inquiry on immgrants in Kota Kinabalu so far, Abdul Aziz and Megat Junid  have been linked to the Project IC by former Sabah National Registration Department officer Yakup Damsah, who said he had stayed in Abdul Aziz's house during one operation.

Former Sabah NRD director, Ramli Kamaruddin, also said the NRD officers were given orders by Megat Junid and that the operation began close to the Sabah election.
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/219109

If Anwar was involved, it would have been “Project A'

In a statement this afternoon, DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang questioned when Mahathir discovered that Anwar was supposedly the real mastermind of 'Project M' (also called Project IC).

Lim said it clearly would not have been on Jan 16 this year, when witnesses at the Sabah RCI implicated Mahathir's closest confidantes Abdul Aziz and Megat Junid in the issue of hundreds of thousands of fake blue identity cards and false letters of approval for birth certificates to immigrants in exchange for votes for the ruling party.

“It was only on Jan 31 (yesterday) that Mahathir suddenly announced that Anwar was the real mastermind of 'Project M', responsible for the “citizenship-for-votes” scam in Sabah,  although admitting to having no proof to back his claim.

“How can Mahathir credibly claim that 'Project M' might have happened 'without any knowledge and orders from the top' when he had openly admitted to its existence and owned up to its authorship on Jan 17, when he had falsely alleged that our Bapa Kemederkaan (Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra) had issued citizenship to one million unqualified non-Malays before Merdeka,” Lim asked.

He said Mahathir had no credibility in blaming Anwar for masterminding 'Project M' when the two key personalities of the scam were the former prime minister's right-hand men.

“Who would have doubted that if Anwar was the real mastermind of the scam, Mahathir would have charged his former deputy in court, or openly accused  him of high treason in his efforts of over a decade to kill off Anwar’s political prospects? And not to forget or overlook it for 15 years, only to suddenly remember or discover yesterday that it was Anwar, and not him, who was behind it?

“In fact, if Anwar had been the real mastermind of the 'citizenship-for-votes' scam in Sabah, it would have been known as 'Project A' instead of 'Project M'. What Malaysians are seeing is the Machiavellian Mahathir in full form,” he said..

Lim added that Sabahans and Peninsular Malaysians want to see Anwar, Najib and the other two former prime ministers, Mahathir and Abdullah, testify before the RCI.

Mahathir blames Anwar for Project IC

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.

600 IC numbers being shared, RCI told

The National Registration Department (NRD) said today there are some 600 problematic blue identity card numbers that are being shared by more than one person.

"Yes, they are in our records, about 600 of them," NRD headquarters identity card division director Md Solehan Omar testified at the royal commission of inquiry (RCI) on immigrants in Sabah.

Solehan said this when asked by conducting officer Manoj Kurup whether allegations of more than one person using the same identity card number were true.

However, Solehan did not elaborate on the matter as neither conducting officers, nor watching brief lawyers pressed him on this issue.
He also explained that NRD faced problematic blue identity card applications in Sabah but was unable to provide figures.

The problem, he explained, was due to discrepancies between information on the application forms and those in NRD’s system.

"The pictures, names or fingerprints are not the same as in NRD’s records," he said.

'Panel to fix problem'

However, he said the agency had since taken corrective measures and disciplianry action had been taken against those responsible.

"We have formed a special panel since 2006 to scrutinise, go through the data and re-do the interviews done in Sabah for the identity cards," he said.

He added that the effort was still ongoing but added that he did not have the figures with him.

However, Md Solehan denied that blue identity cards had been illegally given out to immigrants.

Also taking the stand today was Kota Kinabalu Immigration Department special unit chief Abdul Khalid Abdul Karim, who explained the documents the agency uses in handling immigrants.

He added that as of December last year, a total of 98,427 IMM13 document, a pass for refugees, had been issued. Of  that number t, 60,248 of are still active through renewal.

He explained that the inactive ones could mean the refugees could have gone on to apply for permanent citizenship, returned to their countries of origin, or had passed away.

Unused MyKad for Sabah directive fake, says Hisham

Home Minister Hishamuddin Hussein has denied a letter allegedly directing uncollected MyKads and MyKids to be sent to Sabah, saying it is fake.

“The letter is fake. It’s fake. The allegations are being based on a false letter.

“I urge the public who do not have political motivations not to believe the accusations that certain parties are making,” the minister said at a press conference today.

He added that the National Registration Department (NRD) chairperson Jariah Mohd Said will be lodging a police report today on the matter.

He was speaking to the media after celebrating Immigration Day in Putrajaya this morning.

Yesterday PAS vice-president Mahfuz Omar demanded the government’s explanation on the letter.

He claimed that the directive was issued to all state NRD directors and districts in a letter dated Dec 14, 2012, stating that any MyKad and MyKid that was not collected within 18 months should be sent to Keningau, Sabah.
Special police unit mooted
Earlier at a press conference, Hishammuddin said blamed the coming general election for the proliferation of baseless allegations linked to racial and religious issues were being made that could be exploited.

“Now issues are surfacing one after another. If there is basis bring this to the courts, but many issues have no basis.

“Those who do this have an ulterior motive and are irresponsible, as it can cause anger. I hope the general public is more rational.

“Perhaps as the general election approaches, I would suggest to Police Headquarters to set up a special unit to answer certain issues that are raised with greater speed,” he added.

No documents, but Indian national got his blue IC

An Indian national testified before the royal commission of inquiry on Sabah immigrants today that he obtained a blue identity card from the National Registration Department (NRD) without providing any supporting document.

Nasir Yusof, who arrived in Sabah in 1982 using an Indian passport, said he heard by word of mouth that the government was giving out blue identity cards to foreigners at the Kota Marudu NRD office.

Responding to conducting officer Jamil Aripin, Nasir said in 1988, he and more than a 100 fellow Indian nationals went in lorries to the Kota Marudu NRD office.

Jamil: What made you go to the NRD?
Nasir: I heard that the government was giving out awards (blue ICs)

Jamil: How did you know this?
Nasir: I heard from my friends.

Jamil: What supporting documents did you use?
Nasir: None.

Jamil: Not even a statutory declaration?
Nasir: No.

Jamil: Did you have a birth certificate?
Nasir: No.

Nasir received his blue identity card within two months of his application. His prior documentation was only an Indian passport.
As to whether Nasir's countrymen, with whom he went to apply for the blue identity cards, received theirs or not was not raised.

Nasir said he did not know where the information about the “mass registration” for blue identity card had originated from.

The blue identity card issued to him stated that he was born in Tuaran. It carried a number, with the state code ‘12’, which refers to a local born Sabahan.

He said it was a Kota Marudu NRD officer who decided for him his place of birth.

"When he filled it, he asked me if I was okay with having my birthplace stated as Tuaran. I said okay, because I know the place," Nasir said.

'Voted three times'

He said he registered as a voter in 1990 and has since voted three times, the last time in the parliamentary constituency of Sepanggar.

Nasir now runs a business handling work permits for Indian nationals coming to Sabah.

"There are about 20 employers who are my customers. I handle about two to three work passes for each of them... I charge RM100 per person," he said.

Asked if he was aware that he was being implicated on the Internet for getting blue identity cards for other Indian nationals, Nasir described the allegation as "100 percent defamation".

"I am a member of the Sabah Malaysian Muslim Indian Congress. I made enemies, which is why they are doing this. My business is also affected," he said.

Jamil also grilled Nasir on whether he knew anyone in the Sabah Immigration Department from his handling of the work permits, who could be called to testify, but Nasir insisted that he did not know anybody.
A total of 12 witnesses took the stand today. To date, a total of 49 witnesses have testified since the RCI began the first session of its hearing from Jan 14 to Jan 18.

This second session of hearing, which began yesterday, will conclude on Feb 1.

Sabah RCI witnesses at odds over testimony

Badaruddin Ismail, a former Bukit Aman special branch officer who had interviewed former Sabah National Registration Department (NRD) director Ramli Kamarudin during the crackdown on Ops Durian Buruk, has claimed that the latter had admitted to acting on his own.

This is contrary to what Ramli, supposedly the prime mover of the operation, had told the royal commission of inquiry (RCI) on immigrants in Sabah at its first session on Jan 16.

Badaruddin, now attached to the Special Branch in Kelantan, claimed that Ramli - during interviews while under detention - had said his actions were for financial gain.

"He and his men issued about 16,000 identity card receipts... each was (worth) RM250, so they made more than a million ringgit in profit," he told the RCI panel in Kota Kinabalu today.

Badaruddin said Ramli had personally issued 2,000 of the receipts while the remainder were issued by his officers.

The identity card receipt is an interim document given prior to the issuance of a blue identity card, but is accepted by the Election Commission as identification to qualify for voting.

Ops Durian Buruk allegedly involved NRD officers issuing identity card receipts to immigrants, using the particulars of voters in the electoral roll who were dead or had never voted before.

This effectively created ‘phantom’ voters, where immigrants voted in place of genuine citizens.

Ramli, when testifying, had claimed that he had only initiated the operation after receiving instructions from then Deputy Home Minister Megat Junid Megat Ayub (left) ahead of the 1994 state election.

When conducting officer Manoj Kurup asked Badaruddin about this, the latter replied: "When I questioned him, he said no one gave him instructions, it was for his personal gain."

Pressed if this means that Ramli had lied to the commission, he replied: "Not sure".

Ramli had also said the receipts were only good for voting and nothing else.

He had explained that, because the receipt was issued to immigrants but in the name and identity card of citizens, it could not be converted into blue identity cards. Furthermore, the receipt had a three-month expiry date.

It was not explained as to why immigrants would pay RM250 just to be able to vote, but neither the conducting officers nor lawyers holding a watching brief pressed this issue.

Backing for ‘lone wolf’ theory

Also taking the stand today was Sarawak special branch chief Ibrahim Zakaria who had interviewed Ramli's predecessor Abdul Rauf Sani, who was responsible for ‘Operation G17'.

Then a Bukit Aman special branch officer, Ibrahim had interviewed Abdul Rauf in 1996 while the latter had been detained under the Internal Security Act.

Ibrahim said he had interviewed another NRD officer and a civilian, who had also been held under the ISA, but could not recall their names.

"From interviews, what I can gather (was that) it was more of gaining profit," he told the RCI panel.

On Jan 17, Abdul Rauf had testified to the commission along the same lines.

‘Operation G17', which took place at the beginning of 1990, involved issuing blue identity cards to immigrants, whether or not they were eligible. This was seen as a bid to alter the demographics in Sabah to influence the outcome of elections.

Questioned by lawyer James Ghani, who asked if Abdul Rauf had received instructions from political masters, Ibrahim replied: "He acted on his own".

Even when questioned further, Ibrahim stood firm that Abdul Rauf had not received any instructions and had only acted for money.

He said Abdul Rauf had illegally issued 6,305 blue identity cards and received RM167,300 for this.

NRD made Indian national a citizen using false SD

An Indian national obtained Malaysian citizenship from the Sabah National Registration Department (NRD) by simply using a false statutory declaration, the royal commission of inquiry (RCI) into Sabah immigrants was told today.

Nur Mohd Ibrahim, who hails from Tamil Nadu, India, said he entered Sabah in 1981 and soon after applied for a blue identity card on the urging of Filipino colleagues at a restaurant where he worked.

However, his first application using a false SD was rejected.

In 1983, he tried his luck again, using the same method, and was granted a blue identity card in 1987. This was merely six years after he had set foot on Malaysian soil.

The SD stated that Nur Mohd was born in Kinarut, Papar.

Nur Mohd told the RCI that he registered as a voter in 1991 - eight years after he became citizen. According to him, he has voted four times in the state seat of Likas.

In 2001, the Election Court had ruled that former Sabah chief minister Yong Teck Lee's (left) victory in Likas null and void due to the prevalence of illegal immigrants on the electoral roll.

Yong had won the seat at the Sabah 1999 state election and the results was challenged by two defeated candidates.

Then High Court judge Muhammad Kamil Awang, who revealed he was pressured by his superiors to dismiss the application, said in his judgment: "The instances of non-citizens and phantom voters in the electoral roll as disclosed in this trial may be the tip of the iceberg.

"It could not be denied that the registration of voters in the Likas electoral roll was in contravention of the law. No one including the government department is above the law."

‘Sabah chief minister is ... Mahathir’

Nur Mohd said the SD he used had been drafted by a commissioner of oaths in Kepayan and his Filipino friends taught him to list a place in Sabah as a his birth place.

"Even though I got my blue identity card, I was scared to use it because I was not sure if it was valid or not until I registered as a voter in 1991," he said.

Queried by conducting officer Jamil Aripin if he knew this was tantamount to cheating the NRD, Nur Mohd remained silent.

He then proceeded to test the witness' knowledge of Malaysia, and Nur Mohd managed to name the three most recent prime ministers without trouble.

However, when asked who the chief minister of Sabah is, he replied: "Mahathir" before withdrawing his statement as he invited giggles around the room.

It is unclear if Nur Mohd's identity card was part of any illegal operation but the NRD rules were relaxed in the 1980s to accept SDs as identification documents in applications for blue identity cards.

This rule was abolished in 1987, and since then, only birth certificates have been accepted.

Pakistani gets countryman blue IC in 20 days

Soon after 54-year-old Pakistani national Prabesh Khan Hussein Khan arrived in Sabah in 1992, he was told that Pakistani, Indian, Indonesian and Filipino nationals can get Malaysian citizenship easily.

A Pakistani comrade by the name of Ikram told Prabesh that he (Ikram) could make this possible for a mere RM330, Prabesh told the royal commission of inquiry on Sabah immigrants today.

Prabesh then filled up a yellow National Registration Department form, placed his thumb print on the document and submitted it to Ikram together with eight photographs.

"Is it true that in 20 days Ikram returned and gave you an identity card with the name 'Mohd Sharif Sakar' ?" RCI conducting officer Jamil Aripin asked the witness at the Kota Kinabalu court complex.

Prabesh said 'yes', and added that the date of issue of the identity card was backdated to Nov 16, 1985.

The photograph on the IC was that of his, he added.

"I wanted to use my own name, but Ikram said this could not be done. I didn't choose my birth place either... he listed it for me as 'Tawau'," Prabesh said.

He then went to vote in the 1999 Sabah state election, in the constituency of Likas, but was not allowed to.

"I didn't know that I needed to register first," he said.

In a limbo now

In 2011, Prabesh said, he tried to change his identity card to a new one, but his IC was confiscated by the NRD.

Asked if he knew of a syndicate selling identity cards and that he may have fallen victim to it, he replied: "I don't know".

However, Prabesh said, he was now in limbo, since the confiscation of his IC.

The witness said he had started a new life in the state, marrying a Sabahan in 2002 and they now have two children.

"I just want my identity card back. If it is not valid, then at least make me a permanent resident," Prabesh added.

A total of nine witnesses testified today, with one being recalled to testify again today. To date a total of 37 witnesses have testified before the RCI.

‘We’ll go after those responsible based on RCI findings’

The Star
by RUBEN SARIO

TAWAU: The Government will take appropriate action including criminal prosecution based on the findings by the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) probing Sabah's illegal immigrant problem, Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail said.

He said the A-G's Chambers would have to find out if there was sufficient evidence before it could start any legal action.

“If criminal offences have been committed, we will take action. If there is any wrongdoing, we will correct it.

“That is why we have the RCI,” he said after the launch of the Sabah and Sarawak legal year by Chief Justice Tun Arifin Zakaria here yesterday.

Abdul Gani noted that there were differences between an RCI and a criminal proceeding in court.

“In the RCI, whatever people say will be accepted even if they say something without any proof or based on hearsay.

“When we go to court, we need to have admissible evidence. But this is not an excuse for us not to do anything against those who have done wrong,'' he said.

The testimonies from the nearly 30 witnesses since the RCI began in Kota Kinabalu on Jan 14 include claims that tens of thousands of Malaysian identity cards and other documents were given to foreigners in Sabah.

“The Prime Minister has said that the RCI would be transparent and so all these details are coming out,'' said Abdul Gani, adding that the public should allow the five-member commission headed by former Sabah and Sarawak Chief Judge Tan Sri Steve Shim to do its duty unhindered.

Earlier in his speech, Abdul Gani said the credibility and integrity of the RCI must be safeguarded at all costs.

“As all lawyers are aware, witnesses can easily be affected by external comments and conclusions made by third parties without proper evidence.

“What more when not all the evidence has been adduced before the RCI as yet,'' he said.