Prime Minister Najib Razak has announced an 8-point terms of reference for a long-awaited Royal Commission of Inquiry into Sabah's illegal migrants problem, but he failed to stem the tide of indignation sweeping through the state, with the people still deeply angered by his federal government's perceived bad faith towards them through the decades.
"We fear it is another eyewash. Most of the panel members are staunch BN supporters who have worked as top civil servants. They will surely try to show their gratitude to Najib and Mahathir," PKR vice president Tian Chua told Malaysia Chronicle.
"The other factor is the 6-months time-frame. We believed the RCI was intentionally delayed so as to allow Najib and BN to dodge the outcome of the RCI findings until after the 13th general election. I think we all know GE-13 will surely be called within these 6 months."
Eyewash like the Lingam and Teoh Beng Hock RCIs
Many Sabahans have accused former premier Mahathir Mohamad of conferring either citizenship or permanent residency to the illegals in this manner in exchange for them promising to vote for the BN during elections.
Najib, who flew in today ahead of Sunday's mammoth rally in Kota Marudu where Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim is due to speak, said the RCI would also probe whether the Sabah illegals had been given citizenship and was this done legally.
“The formation of this RCI proves the federal government’s commitment to investigate the issues surrounding the presence of illegal immigrants in Sabah. The government hopes that Sabahans will benefit from this inquiry and join the government in seeking the best strategy and method to solve the problem,” Najib told reporters (scroll below for the RCI's 8 terms of reference).
The five-member RCI panel will be chaired by former Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Steve Chim Lip Kiong and will comprise four commissioners ― former Universiti Malaysia Sabah vice-chancellor Prof Dr Kamaruzaman Ampon, former Sabah Attorney-General Herman J Luping, Malaysian Crime Prevention Foundation deputy chairman and former Kuala Lumpur police chief Henry Poy-Wu, and former Sabah State Secretary Kee Mustafa.
RCI won't solve core problem of INFLUX
Like Tian, DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang too slammed Najib for the tepid and 'insincere' RCI, which he doubts could do much to resolve the four-decades-old problem.
Indeed, Sabahans have long protested illegal migrants problem, which has brought on widespread social and economic misery.
Overcrowding, rising crime, shortage of housing and facilities, fighting for jobs and educational opportunities amid an economic pie shrunk by political corruption have kept Sabah one of the poorest of Malaysia's 13 states despite it owning massive oil and timber wealth.
"No RCI as Sabah RCIII (Illegal Immigrants) assailed with such ocean of public skepticism, doubt it is bona fide solution to four-decades-old problem. Can RCI probe Project M n call up Mahathir as star-witness? Can RCI probe those responsible for massive issue of false documents? Why has PM taken six months to finalise eight RCI terms of reference? BN rejected my Sabah RCI motion in Parliament in 2008 - why?" said Kit Siang in a statement.
"The scope of the RCI is very limited. Mostly on how illegal immigrants became voters. It won't solve the core problem of influx," said Tian.
Revolt in Sabah BN
A third senior BN leader is expected to announce his intention to join the Sabah Reform Front at the Kota Marudu rally, where Anwar is the guest of honor. The Sabah movement has aligned itself to Anwar's Pakatan Rakyat, which currently forms the federal Opposition and governs 4 of the country's 13 states.
Lajim Ukin, an Umno Supreme Council member and the MP for Beaufort, had sent a shudder through the BN when he handed in his resignation last month. He is expected to contest under the PAS flag during GE-13.
“What Dr Mahathir did was a blatant betrayal to the people of Sabah and Sarawak on that promise,” Bumburing said in response to "insensitive comments" made by Mahathir Mohamad in a bid perceived as being aimed to help blunt the impact of Najib's vague terms of reference.
Indeed, few Sabahans really held much hope that Najib would order a thorough probe as it is Mahathir who allegedly masterminded the Project M or Project IC in the 1980s. The objective was to pad the BN's voter bank with the illegals so as to ensure the coalition could remain in control of the federal government.
"Would Najib dare to do anything that could get Mahathir arrested? Look at the Lingam tape RCI, where the panel recommended prosecution. Yet Mahathir and all the others involved got away with the Attorney General refusing to take further action. The same thing will happen in the Sabah RCI as it also happened in the Teoh Beng Hock RCI," said Tian.
It's OK, they deserved citizenship - defends Dr M
“On the basis of length of stay and mastering of the national language, they qualify to be citizens of this country. And so they acquired citizenship. By comparison we have many citizens who cannot speak the national language who were accepted as citizens," said Mahathir.
“So why cannot the migrants to Sabah who have all these qualifications be accepted as citizens? The objections for them being accepted seem to be political."
A 2010 census of Sabah’s population shows an extraordinary 390-per cent increase from 636, 431 citizens in 1970 to 3,120,040 citizens in 2010 ― more than double the national population growth of just 164 per cent. Of the 3.12 million Sabahans today, reports have estimated that 27 per cent are foreigners.
“I tell you, it has come to stage when these PTIs (‘pendatang tanpa izin’ or illegal immigrants) dare to speak out. I hear it every day from the people. When they fight for a place to sell vegetables at the markets, our locals are driven out. Yesterday when our locals fought back and said, ‘this is our country’, these foreigners retaliated and said, ‘No, we will be taking over your state very soon’," said Bumburing.
"When our officers reprimand them at government departments, they retort, ‘don’t you be so conceited. Our people will be in your seats soon’. These illegals are costing us our resources, causing health, social problems, they bring drugs and they bring disease to Sabah. But the most important thing is that our sovereignty has been breached and the government has not done anything."
8 terms of reference
The eight terms of reference of the RCI are:
1. To investigate the number of foreigners in Sabah given blue Malaysian ICs or citizenships;
2. To investigate if the award of such ICs or citizenships were according to the law;
3. To investigate if those given blue ICs, temporary identification receipts or citizenships through unlawful means have been registered in Sabah’s electoral roll;
4. To investigate if the authorities have taken any action or made improvements to standard operating procedures (SOPs), methods and regulations to prevent any irregularities in accordance with the law;
5. To conduct a deeper probe into the SOPs, methods and regulations on the award of blue ICs or citizenships to foreigners in Sabah by taking into consideration international norms and standards that are applicable to Malaysia, and to recommend amendments or changes to improve current practices;
6. To investigate the reasons behind Sabah’s population growth according to the following categories:
a) Sabah citizens residing in the state, including those given blue ICs or citizenships through birth certificates (late registration);
b) foreign workers (including family members);
c) illegal immigrants (including family members); and
d) fugitives
and to study their impact on the number of those registered in the electoral roll;
7. To investigate the social implications on the Sabah community following the award of blue ICs or citizenships to foreigners in the state; and
8) To investigate the number of “stateless” foreigners in Sabah given blue ICs or citizenships.
Malaysia Chronicle
anggota panel bukan dilantik oleh Agong ka? dari cadangan hingga la kepada pengumuman, semuanya dikritik oleh pembangkang.. kenapa tidak kritik ketika Azizah umumkan akan memberikan status PR kepada PATI sekiranya Pakatan berjaya rampas Puterajaya??
ReplyDeletesekiranya PR jadi kerajaan, mereka tiada rancangan mahu menghapuskan IC projek atau menyelesaikan masalah PATI di Sabah. Pembangkang hanya mahu menarik perhatian rakyat saja tu.
DeleteMungkin mereka pergunakan PATI ni untuk menjadi pengundi mereka.
Deletepembangkang akan kritik semua dilakukan kerajaan walaupun ia perkara baik.
DeletePATI tidak layak untuk mengundi. Cuma ada pihak menggunakan taktik kotor untuk mengekalkan kuasa.
Deletekalaupun RCI ini dianggotai oleh badan2 dari luar negara, saya yakin ia tetap dipertikaikan kononnya badan2 asing itu dibiayai oleh umno.. begitulah sikap pembangkang di negara ini yang asyik mengelirukan rakyat dan sentiasa berusaha menggagalkan usaha2 kerajaan..
ReplyDeletenamanya pun memang pembangkang. apa2 usaha kerajaan semuanya mau dikritik dan dibangkang.
DeleteApa saja kerajaan buat akan sentiasa di kritik oleh pembangkang. Macam mereka boleh buat lebih baik lagi.
Deletewalau apapun pandangan pemimpin2 pembangkang berkenaan dengan RCI, saya tetap menyokong penuh langkah kerajaan pimpinan Najib ini dala menyelesaikan masalah PATI dan projek IC di negeri ini.. tidak ada apa yang perlu disembunyikan Najib kerana beliau tidak terlibat dengan skandal Projek IC..
ReplyDeleteMajoriti rakyat Sabah menyokong penunuhan RCI.walau ditentang oleh individu seperti Mahathir yang merupakan bekas PM pun tidak akan menghalang penubuhannya.
DeleteKerajaan tidak mungkin menghentikan pertubuhan RCI, tindakan ini cuma membawa isyarat bahawa kerajaan melindungi seseorang atau tindakan yang menyalah gunakan kuasa.
DeleteAccording to Najib, the investigation would focus on whether the issuance of the blue identity cards or citizenship to the immigrants was made based on the law.The commission will also investigate whether those who obtained the blue identity card or temporary identification receipt (blue) or citizenship illegally were registered in the Electoral Roll, he added.Apart from that, Najib said the RCI would also investigate whether the relevant authorities had taken any action or made efforts to improve standard operating procedures, methods and regulations to avoid non-uniformity with the law in regard to the matter.
ReplyDeleteIn relation to the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on Illegal Immigrants, further investigation was also needed in matters pertaining to the standard operating procedures, methods and regulations on the issuance of the blue identity cards or citizenship to immigrants in Sabah by taking into account international standard and norms used in Malaysia, he added. It will recommend amendments or changes to strengthen or improve the standard operating procedures, methods and regulations.
Najib said the RCI was also set up to find the cause for the increase in the population in Sabah, based on several categories, namely, Sabah people residing in the state, including those who had been issued with blue identity card and citizenship through birth certificates (late registration), foreign workers (including family members), illegal immigrants (including family members) and refugees, as well as the effects on the number of voters in the electoral roll. The RCI will also investigate the social implications on the society in Sabah arising from the issuance of the blue identity card or citizenship to immigrants and the number of immigrants in Sabah who have been given the blue identity card or citizenship by taking into account their status as stateless people.
I think, we should see what the RCI progress after the announcement.
DeleteRCI masih belum diumumkan lagi, dah lah banyak komen negatif.
ReplyDeleteBiasa lah..ada saja yang di kritik oleh pembangkang.
DeleteSiapakah yang pertama harus disiasat?
ReplyDeleteAre they going to investigate Dr. M?
ReplyDelete