Dr M ‘fooling us’, it’s ‘criminal’

Dr Mahathir continues to insult our intelligence by assuming people can't differentiate between a shady secretive operation and citizenships granted post-1957, says PKR.

PETALING JAYA: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s attempt to equate his ‘Project IC’ to Tunku Abdul Rahman’s granting of citizenship is “despicable and cowardly” and an effort to distract the rakyat from his citizenship-for-votes scheme, PKR deputy president s Mohamed Azmin Ali said today.

“The latest statement by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammed to clear himself of any wrongdoing in the clandestine IC scam under probe by the RCI (Royal Commission of Inquiry) shows him to be arrogant, unrepentant and an unscrupulous manipulator of history,” said the PKR leader in a statement.

“He is trying to pull wool over the eyes of the rakyat by equating the IC scam conducted shadily under his watch as prime minister with the granting of citizenship in peninsula Malaysia during the Tunku’s time.”

Yesterday, the former prime minister Mahathir admitted to reporters that foreigners were granted citizenship in Sabah during his time at the country’s helm, but stressed that it was “within the law”.

Mahathir claimed that the immigrants had a right to become Malaysians as they had stayed in Sabah for 20 to 30 years and could speak Bahasa Malaysia.

He also shrugged off questions that the move was done to enable Umno to take over Sabah by saying that once the foreigners become citizens, it was their right to support any political party.

“One should also look back and remember that Tunku Abdul Rahman was worse than me, he gave one million citizenships to people who are not qualified and were not even tested,” Mahathir had told reporters.

“Why is it when he does it, it is not wrong, and when I do it, it’s wrong?”

But Azmin flayed Mahathir for thinking that the public could not distinguish between his project and that of the first prime minister’s.

“He continues to insult our intelligence by assuming that the people are unable to differentiate between a shady operation shrouded in secrecy which is criminal and one that was done in accordance with a collective decision during the formative period of our history of independence.

“In any event, the latter is not the subject of inquiry, whereas the IC project is,” Azmin pointed out.

‘Investigate Mahathir for treason’

The Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI), which began on Monday, is investigating claims that citizenship was given to illegal immigrants in Sabah during Mahathir’s administration.

Yesterday, a former Sabah National Registration Department (NRD) director had reportedly told the RCI that blue identity cards were issued to increase the number of Muslim voters in Sabah.

According to media reports, he also said immigrants in Sabah were taught how to vote in elections, otherwise their identity cards were cancelled.

On Wednesday, former Sabah NRD assistant registrar Kee Dzulkifly Kee Abd Jalil reportedly testified that 100,000 blue identity cards were given to Filipino, Indonesian and Pakistani immigrants in Sabah in 1993.

The late Megat Junid Megat Ayub, who was then deputy Home Minister, had also been accused of ordering the NRD to issue temporary documents to allow immigrants to vote in a 1994 state election.

But Mahathir told reporters yesterday that he was unaware of the alleged order, and insisted that just because it took place before elections, did not mean it was against the law.

Said Azmin: “The clandestine project took place just two weeks before the 1994 state election and Mahathir must stop pretending he cannot see the link between that and the obvious conclusion that it was therefore a citizenship-for-votes scheme.

“Aziz Shamsuddin and Megat Junid could not have embarked on a scam of such a magnitude without the clearance of the man they would have to report to at that time, and that would be none other than Mahathir.”

Azmin was referring to Abdul Aziz Shamsuddin, Mahathir’s then political secretary, whose house had allegedly been used as an operations centre to issue the fake identity cards.

“I maintain my call that Dr Mahathir must be investigated for the act of treason to the people and to the nation for selling out or sovereignty in sanctioning this nefarious scheme just to ensure that Umno-BN controls Sabah,” said Azmin.