Sabah DAP calls for Hisham’s resignation

Home Minister Hishamuddin Hussein has been accused of 'gross disrespect' to Sabahans in relation to the illegal immigrant issue.

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah DAP has called on Home Minister Hishammuddin Tun Hussein to step down for failing in his duty to protect the nation.

Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak should consider replacing Hishammuddin with a native Sabahan as home minister, the party’s secretary Junz Wong said yesterday.

He said that Hishammuddin’s resignation was warranted as he had clearly failed to exercise his duty and responsibility and safeguard the sovereignty of the country following overwhelming evidence that foreigners had been granted citizenship by the thousands in the state.

Wong’s outburst comes on the heels of a rejection by Hishammuddin to set up a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on the thorny issue of the scores of illegal immigrants who seem to have gained citizenship and Bumiputera status in Sabah.

Wong said that it was gross disrespect to Sabahans and a clear indication that the Umno-led Barisan Nasional (BN) government does not want to delve into the perennial issue that has vexed the state.

He said that it was obvious why the federal government did not want to conduct an open investigation.

“We understand why the home minister and Umno are not interested with the RCI. It is an open secret that the thousands of illegal immigrants were legalised systematically by the BN government and are now the ‘fixed deposit’ of Umno to stay in power,” he said.

Wong cited Sabah-based businessman Mohd Akjan Ali Muhammad who was several years ago arrested under ISA for helping issue Malaysian documents to the illegal immigrants and was recently proclaimed the 33rd reigning sultan of the Sulu Sultanate.

He said this was a good reason for the government not to set up the RCI.

“Why would the government want to tackle this issue if it is involved in creating it in the first place,” he asked.

He said that if Umno was really concerned about the fate of Sabahans, the government would take action against Akjan without fear or favour and charge him in court.

Window-dressing

Wong, who is also DAP Kota Kinabalu Youth chief, also asked Hishammuddin to elaborate why he thinks Akjan is not part of the immigration problem.

“His arrest under the ISA was only a window-dressing as he soon become a very influential Umno leader and was awarded multi-million ringgit projects by the government.

“Ironically, local Sabahans remain poor and trapped in poverty. Even the provision under Article 153 of the Federal Constitution – giving and reserving quotas for the Malays and natives of Sabah and Sarawak – has not been extended to the natives of Sabah, particularly the non-Muslim native businessmen,” he said.

“How many genuine Sabahans born in 1957 are as successful as Akjan, who is believed to be a foreigner who was legalised by the government to help recruit thousands of his people to be Malaysian citizens and registered as voters?” he asked. - FMT