NRD Playing Politics and Gambling With Sabahans’ Future - Dr. Jeffrey

Kota Kinabalu: “The National Registration Department (NRD) has no business deciding that the re-introduction of a Sabah IC would not be implemented. That right belongs to the Sabah government and with the numerous calls for the Sabah IC to be implemented and now receiving support from some of the Sabah BN components” said Datuk Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan, STAR Sabah Chief responding on the report that the NRD was not in favour of issuing a Sabah IC but recalling and re-issuing ICs issued for Sabahans.

The federal government should not use the NRD as it mouth-piece and play politics and gambling with the future of Sabahans. If the federal government is not in favour of the issuance of a Sabah IC, it should say so and deal with the wrath of the people in Sabah.

As it is, the NRD is already issuing 2.5 million i-Kad with biometric security features for foreign workers.

The federal government has also launched a uniform high-security identification card, which can be ready in 30 minutes, for all government staff in a move to check impersonation and forging of the identification documents of government employees in 2014.

“There is no plausible reason why a high tech, high-security Sabah IC cannot be issued to secure Sabah’s sovereignty and weed out fake ICs and MyKads” opined Dr. Jeffrey.

The NRD’s rejection of the Sabah IC only and only wish to reissue ICs issued in Sabah serves to confirm the people’s opinion and fear that the federal government do not wish to resolve the long outstanding illegal immigrants’ problems in Sabah.

If the NRD is tasked with re-issuing ICs issued in Sabah, it will only legitimize ICs that have been unlawfully issued to illegal immigrants. Their past records clearly show that the NRD cannot be trusted to deal with the illegal ICs in Sabah. The NRD has legal or moral authority to say “NO” to the Sabah IC or to re-issue IC under them which enables them to legitimize illegals and cover up past wrong-doings.

“It needs no reminder that RCI Report had established conclusively that many illegals have been given ICs not in accordance with the law and then and unlawfully entered into the electoral rolls. This was done to ensure Umno wins big in 32 of the 60 State seats and to ensure winning majorities in other BN-held seats as well as parliamentary seats to continue their hold on power in Putrajaya.

Everyone knows, which even Umno Sabah leaders acknowledge in private, that the Umno-led federal government had a hand in the issuance of dubious ICs and MyKads in Sabah with many Sabah Umno leaders leading the recruitment of these foreigners as Umno members.

These fake ICs and MyKads as acknowledged by the Sabah NRD Director himself that Keningau has the most fake cards with the problem also existing throughout all the districts in Sabah. It has even surfaced in the Peninsula with deadly effect involving criminal murders, security guards, Pakistani taxi drivers and links with Islamist terrorists.

A Sabah IC is only logical as every Sabahan is a Malaysian and not every Malaysian is a Sabahan and not entitled to residence or entry into Sabah as immigration powers remain with the Sabah government. The federal government can grant federal citizenship but has no legal authority to grant anyone Sabah citizenship which remains within the ambit of the Sabah government who can deny entry or residence beyond 90 days to any non-Sabahan Malaysian.

With the refusal by the federal government and NRD on the proposed Sabah IC, the legal and moral duty to protect and safeguard Sabah’s sovereignty and security and to safeguard the rights and interests of genuine Sabahans now rests with the Sabah government.

There is no restriction for the Sabah government to legally issue the Sabah IC and another ID for non-Sabahans resident in Sabah. This will prevent manipulation by the federal government from entering these foreigners into the electoral rolls.

“The Sabah IC and non-Sabahan Resident ID is the only way to ensure that the security and sovereignty of Sabah and the future of genuine Sabahans are genuinely protected” stressed Dr. Jeffrey.