KOTA KINABALU: The 11th of September 2012 marks exactly one month since the announcement of the Terms of Reference on Sabah's Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on illegal immigrants was announced. However, as to date, there is nothing but deafening silence on this matter as there is yet to be any concrete action taken to show that the government is serious in carrying out their promises to the people of Sabah.
Bersih Sabah is demanding explanations for the long delay in the implentation of the RCI.
"With no official appointment of the commissioners, the promise of the RCI is just an empty shell. Beautiful, but pointless. We demand that the necessary steps to form the RCI must be completed before the 13th general election takes place.Otherwise, it would seem like the whole matter was just a political gimmick meant to appease the public without any real commitment." the Bersih member continues.
However, even with the formation of the RCI now, it is unlikely that the findings will be completed before the 13th general election, which is due any day now, given the 6-months time frame. The findings are of extreme importance, as it is forms the root cause of the people's distrust that the the whole electoral process is rigged.
The issuance of identity cards or citizenship for votes is a very serious allegation that the current government is facing. Bersih Sabah is therefore imploring the government to step up and clear their names, which can only happen if they take the issue of RCI seriously and with immediate effect.
The demand for RCI for Sabah's illegal immigrants is in line with Bersih's nationwide call for clean and fair elections. Having the election now, without the RCI, means that the government has too much to hide.
Bersih Sabah again stresses that "No RCI, No GE".
Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan has assured Sabahans that the Royal Commission of Inquiry on the presence of illegal immigrants and population boom in Sabah will be set up soon. The appointment of members of the panel had been announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak last month and I expect their appointment letters will be issued soon.
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DeletePairin, who was asked to comment on doubts raised by certain quarters about the Government’s sincerity in setting up the Commission, said the appointment letters must first be handed over to the Yang di Pertuan Agong for his consent before they are given to the individuals concerned.The Commission is a very important thing which cannot be delayed and the Government realizes that, therefore it will be set up.
DeleteSabah BN political parties should be credited for their hard work as for the first time in the State's political history, all Sabah BN parties including the leadership in Sabah Umno stood together hand in hand in their key demand for the RCI (Royal Commission of Inquiry on illegal immigrants.Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Musa Haji Aman ought to be credited for his foresight to set up the Sabah BN committee on citizenship under the chairmanship of Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan, who is also PBS President which served as the catalyst in the formation of the RCI.
As a member of the Sabah BN committee on citizenship, he witnessed how the committee discussed and articulated the popular demand for RCI, and then formulated the terms of reference most of which were adopted by the Federal government.He said PBS would be mobilising party machinery at all levels to explain to the people the objectives of the formation of the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on illegal immigrants.
DeleteThe Prime Minister's announcement on RCI provided the Sabah BN solid platform to engage the grassroots supporters.He said PBS expects all Sabah BN component political parties to cooperate and work closely to ensure the royal probe on illegal immigrants succeeds.
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DeleteThe successful formation of the RCI and its terms of reference by the Prime Minister has been described as a winnable strategy to counter opposition propaganda and win over the hearts and minds of the people of Sabah.The formation of the RCI is clearly a victory for the people of Sabah, and certainly, a historic moment, that will decide the fate of a nation, especially the future history of Sabah.
Announced against the backdrop of decades of relentless efforts or rather frustration, the formation of the RCI reflects the Prime Minister's serious commitment to resolve the perennial problems related to the huge presence of illegal immigrants in Sabah.The RCI announcement is the outcome of a long political process of aggregating grassroots sentiments, articulating issues, formulating appropriate RCI policies and now implementing them.
DeleteBut the long pursuit of the RCI has brought all Sabah BN component political parties closer to each other and especially to Sabah Umno which has decisively thrown their weight behind its formation.Meanwhile, the government was not perturbed by the opposition's desperate attempt to belittle the RCI announcement and will fight any opposition agenda to sabotage its implementation. It was not a surprised by certain remarks attributed to the opposition leaders critical of the RCI.
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DeleteThe revelation that Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was in fact against the RCI when he was Deputy Prime Minister confirms lingering suspicion that he is not sincere in resolving the problem of illegal immigrants.On the surface Anwar purportedly supported the formation of the RCI, but at the same time, he is calling for all illegal immigrants to be issued with permanent Resident status.
DeleteThis was a very dangerous proposition as, under the Federal Constitution, a foreigner who has been given a PR 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 their intention to grant Permanent Resident status to illegal immigrants without documents if voted to power.
Malaysia is guided by the principles of "Rukun Negara" and the rule of law and expect the constitutional process of granting citizenship to be respected.PBS, disagrees with the views expressed by former Prime Minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammad, that there is nothing wrong in giving citizenship to illegal immigrants who can converse in Bahasa Malaysia.
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DeleteDr Mahathir's statement was politically provocative as it seeks to justify systematic attempts to change the political demography of Sabah under his administration at the expense of the local indigenous population.He said Dr Mahathir's use of history to justify free movement of foreigners into Sabah is seriously flawed, and by his own logic, he seemed to justify the Philippines' claim on Sabah or even the Indonesian confrontation policy opposed to the creation of Malaysia.If Dr Mahathir seriously thinks that foreigners from neighboring countries can just walk into Sabah without documents and do as what they like regardless of the law, what is the justification for Sabah to be part of Malaysia in the first place?
till RCI is implemented, the people will only feel assured that their state is in good hands.
DeleteNampaknya isu RCI ini mula diperkatakan lagi oleh pihak pembangkang.
ReplyDeleteBegitulah kalau tidak ada isu lain. Mahu komplen saja!
Deleteapa pun yang dibuat pasti akan ada saja isu yang dimainkan.
DeleteKelewatan untuk penubuhan RCI ini memang patut diperjelaskan oleh pihak kerajaan persekutuan.
ReplyDeleteDijelaskan pun hal itu, pasti ada juga yang tak puas hati nanti. Manusia kan memang tak pernah puas.
DeleteMungkin perlu ambil sedikit masa untuk memasti RCI di buat dengan teliti.
DeleteTindakan wajar harus diambil segera.
Deleteindeed Sabah people start demanding explanations for the long delay in the implentation of the RCI...
ReplyDeletehope BN Sabah can come out with an explanation on the delay..
ReplyDeleteThe people demand explanation from the government. Government must always take care of the people and not the illegal immigrants.
Deletehopefully this is not just a political gimmick
ReplyDeleteSusah mahu cakap sebab sekarang ni politik sudah tidak dapat dipisahkan dari mana-mana perkara. huhuhu
DeleteRCI memang dari dulu di politikkan oleh pihak pembangkang.Sudah mau di tubuhkan tapi masih banyak bunyi lagi.
Deleteand that's why Sabahans urge that RCI must be completed before the 13th general election takes place
ReplyDeletesemoga suara rakyat didengari oleh kerajaan pemerintah
ReplyDeleteKerajaan pasti akan dengar suara rakyat. Banyak perkara perlu diambil kira so janganlah terlalu kelam kabut pula:P
DeleteKerajaan telah buat keputusan untuk menubuhkan RCI, tapi masih banyak pihak yang tidak berpuas hati..ada saja mau komplen.
Deletekerajaan sudah bersetuju laksanakan RCI, pekara ini tidak patut dijadikan isu.
DeleteAtama jugalah paling manang. Kit alihat sejauh mana hala tuju Bersih ni.
ReplyDeleteBersih hanya tau buat kacau sahaja..tidak tau apa sebenarnya perjuangan mereka.
DeleteIf the delays keep happening, the people will eventually lose trust to the government.
ReplyDeleteAgong baru balik daripada luar negara. Mudah-mudahan YDPA akan memperkenankan appointment letter dengan segera.
ReplyDeleteRakyat Sabah sudah tidak sabar untuk melihat RCI dilaksanakan bagi menyiasat projek ic dan PATI.
ReplyDeletesemua pasti mengharapkan agar masalah pati ini berjaya diselesikan.
Deletesebaiknya penjelasan diberikan agar tiada pihak yang tertanya-tanya.
ReplyDeletetunggulah penjelasan dari pihak yang berkenaan, yang penting masalah yang berlaku dapat diselesaikan.
ReplyDeleteSebaiknya kita tunggu penjelasan dari pihak kerajaan, tidak perlu dengar kata-kata pembangkang yang cuba mempolitikkan isu ini.
ReplyDeleteapa pula kena delay? takkan la RCI yang bakal menelan dana awam yang banyak hanya memakan masa sebulan untuk diselesaikan? nanti kalau buat cepat2, kena cakap gimik PRU pula..
ReplyDeletecukup la kerajaan akan melaksanakan RCI di Sabah... tidak perlu tergesa2 mengadakan RCI.. jika berlaku apa2 masalah di kemudian hari, bukan bersih Sabah juga yang tanggung kesannya..
ReplyDeleteKelewatan haru smemberi penjelasan supaya rakyat juga tidak kehilangan keyakinan dimana kerajaan membeli masa sahaja.
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