Cabinet to discuss RCI on Sabah’s secret voters

Federal Minister Bernard Dompok is confident that Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak will approve a RCI into the illegal immigrant issue.

KOTA KINABALU: The government will deliberate the establishment of a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on illegal immigrants in Sabah gaining Malaysian citizenship and taking part in elections during its meeting on Wednesday.

Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Bernard Dompok said Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak had promised him this during a recent meeting in Putrajaya.

Dompok, who is also Upko president, said he had explained to Najib that there must be a satisfactory solution “to bring to closure this big issue and debate about the presence of illegal immigrants in Sabah.”

“He (Najib) concurred with my view and promised that this will be discussed in the coming Cabinet meeting.

“I’m hopeful that there’ll be a positive response from the government for the establishment of a RCI, since such a call was fully supported by all quarters in Sabah,” he said.

He was speaking at a Chinese New Year luncheon-cum-gathering organised by residents of the Kepayan low-cost housing scheme here yesterday.

In his speech, Dompok, who is Penampang MP, also urged Sabahans to continue to preserve the unique Malaysian culture and tradition of celebrating the various ethnic and religious festivities and use it to cement unity among the various races.

The Barisan Nasional (BN) government in Sabah has been forced to keep the call for an RCI on illegal immigrants on its agenda after taking a beating from the opposition for being unable to provide a solution to the problem despite being in power for almost two decades.

The sudden explosive growth in the population of the state in the last 20 years has frightened locals and politicians who see a reverse takeover of Sabah by illegal immigrants.

Some say this has already taken place with the help and connivance of figures in federal and state governments which, in turn, have largely benefited from the population change and a new subservient electorate drawn mainly from among the Muslim community.

Umno’s local BN partners like Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) and Upko have been under pressure for some time now to prove to their supporters that they are actively pursuing a solution to the problem.

Also present at the function were Sabah MCA chief and Kepayan assemblyman Edward Khoo, Assistant Local Government and Housing Minister Edward Yong, Penampang MCA chief Senator Paul Kong, Penampang district councillor Victor Kou and Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) information chief, Chong Pit Fah, who is an adviser to the residents’ committee.