Jeffrey: Postpone polls in Sabah

Given the revelations at the RCI, Sabah STAR believes electoral rolls are tainted and needs to be cleaned up before the general elections.

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah State Reform Party (STAR) chairman Jeffrey Kitingan has called for the suspension of the forthcoming 13th General Election until the electoral rolls in Sabah are cleaned up.

Commenting on the series of sensational revelations made by witnesses in the ongoing Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on issuance of Malaysian citizenship to both legal and illegal immigrants in Sabah, he said the current electoral rolls are tainted and should not be used.

He stressed that the revelations on phantom voters and illegitimate voters enabling fraudulent wins for Umno-BN candidates in the past is a clarion call for all Sabah leaders to join hands to oust the illegitimate government and to call for the suspension of the forthcoming general elections in Sabah until the electoral rolls are cleaned up.

“It distresses genuine Sabahans and Malaysians to hear the revelations at the RCI. It is confirming that even the worst of our nightmares on the poor governance of Sabah are nothing compared to what we are hearing,” said Jeffrey.

“We hear of illegal immigrants being given registration receipts and used as voters for hire to ensure wins for Umno/BN candidates including a former chief minister who would have lost if not for these voters for hire.”

He was referring to witnesses testimony that between RM10 and RM20 was paid to these voters to be bussed around to various constituencies in the state that were deemed opposition leaning areas to prop up the BN candidates in those areas.

In Friday’s public hearing, the RCI was told of foreigners who were born in India and had travelled to Sabah using Indian passports ended up as Malaysian citizens by making false claims of being born in Sabah. They were given Malaysian ICs and passports despite not living in the state or country for the rehired period and have since voted up to five times.

Present Sabah govt ‘illegitimate’

The witnesses, who are now voters told, the commission they were merely asked to sign forms while their place of birth, which was neither Sabah or any other part of Malaysia, was filled in by others and the ICs hand-delivered to them.

“It is clear that the present Sabah government is illegitimate and can only be a caretaker government, at best, and should be ousted by the people of Sabah,” said Jeffrey.

“The Election Commission, which is supposed to be impartial as set out and required in the Federal Constitution, should stop its nonsense and ensure that fair and free elections are carried out in the 13th General Election.

“Given the revelations at the RCI until now, it is obvious that the electoral rolls, at least in Sabah, are tainted and needs to be cleaned up before the general elections can be held in Sabah. We cannot allow illegitimate voters and foreigners to vote and determine the future of Sabah,” he added.

“The forthcoming general elections in Sabah should not be held until the RCI has completed its task and the electoral rolls are totally cleaned up and free from dubious, illegitimate and foreigner voters.”

Jeffrey, the younger brother of deputy chief minister and Parti Bersatu Sabah president, Joseph Pairin, urged all local Sabah leaders, NGOs and the people to come together and join hands with STAR Sabah, to take a common stand on what the RCI had so far revealed.

“The unprecedented revelations are certainly a first in world history and the international community, the world legal fraternity and the United Nations Security Council and its members should seriously study (this) and stand by the long suffering people of Sabah and Sarawak in Malaysia,” he said.