Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad today denied his involvement in the controversial ‘Project IC’ - allegedly a covert operation in the 1990s to grant identity cards to foreigners to vote for Barisan Nasional.
He insisted that his name had been used in the operation but denied being aware of its existence.
“A lot of people used my name, that doesn’t mean I agreed to that (programme),” he said, adding that he could not stop them from misusing using his name.
Mahathir (right in photo) defended the government’s policy to allow foreigners - who have lived here for over a decade, are fluent in Bahasa Malaysia and have showed loyalty to the country - to apply for citizenship.
“What is wrong... are those who only stay for three months and are not able to speak Bahasa Malaysia, being awarded citizenship,” he told a press conference after launching the e-book version of his memoir A Doctor in the House.
When asked to comment on the proposal to set up a royal commission of inquiry (RCI) to probe ‘Project IC’, Mahathir seemed surprised and said he did not know about the project. To a question if he welcomed the RCI to clear his name, he responded, “I don’t care (whether my name is) cleared or not. To me, it’s irrelevant.”
The parliamentary select committee (PSC) on electoral reform in its interim report last month had proposed the formation of an RCI to investigate claims that foreigners were granted citizenship and the right to vote in Sabah.
In its report, it stated that the recommendation was made following numerous complaints on ‘Project IC’ during its public hearing in Kota Kinabalu.
He insisted that his name had been used in the operation but denied being aware of its existence.
“A lot of people used my name, that doesn’t mean I agreed to that (programme),” he said, adding that he could not stop them from misusing using his name.
Mahathir (right in photo) defended the government’s policy to allow foreigners - who have lived here for over a decade, are fluent in Bahasa Malaysia and have showed loyalty to the country - to apply for citizenship.“What is wrong... are those who only stay for three months and are not able to speak Bahasa Malaysia, being awarded citizenship,” he told a press conference after launching the e-book version of his memoir A Doctor in the House.
When asked to comment on the proposal to set up a royal commission of inquiry (RCI) to probe ‘Project IC’, Mahathir seemed surprised and said he did not know about the project. To a question if he welcomed the RCI to clear his name, he responded, “I don’t care (whether my name is) cleared or not. To me, it’s irrelevant.”
The parliamentary select committee (PSC) on electoral reform in its interim report last month had proposed the formation of an RCI to investigate claims that foreigners were granted citizenship and the right to vote in Sabah.
In its report, it stated that the recommendation was made following numerous complaints on ‘Project IC’ during its public hearing in Kota Kinabalu.
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