RACIAL POLITICS AGAIN? Dr M, Najib using Chinese citizenship to get out of Sabah hot soup

It looks like Prime Minister Najib Razak is again resorting to racial politics to steer his party and former strongman Mahathir Mohamad out of hot soup in Sabah, where long simmering unhappiness over the problems caused by an influx of illegal immigrants threaten to tip the electoral scales in favour of the Pakatan Rakyat, led by Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim.

The 59-year-old Najib gave the game away when he agreed with Mahathir's claim he had done nothing wrong in giving out citizenship to foreigners. Najib echoed and even added to Mahathir's comments made earlier on Thursday that such a move was the same as that made by first prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman, who had given "1 million Chinese citizenship".

"Nothing wrong with that. Many countries are also doing the same. I'm sure you know that," Najib told a press conference late on Thursday night.

Chinese scapegoats

But his rather facetious remarks came under fire from critics.

While Najib praised himself and BN for having the "sincerity" to conduct a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the matter, his rivals pointed out that he had steered clear from the crux of the Sabahans' grouses. Sabahans generally believe it is Mahathir, who ruthlessly 'sold' citizenship to the foreigners in exchange for their voting BN during elections. This had left Sabah saddled with massive social and economic problems.

"I don't think Najib and Mahathir can equate the Chinese and Indians in Malaya who were granted citizenship as part of the social contract and a condition for getting Independence from the British as being the same as the mass import of Filipinos for the sake of unseating a democratically elected government," PKR MP for Batu Tian Chua told Malaysia Chronicle.

"It is clear the comments made by Najib and Mahathir are meant to exonerate themselves to the Malay community, especially Umno members both in the Peninsular and Sabah. Of course, the scapegoats used are the Chinese and the Indians as usual." 

Chinese not qualified for citizenship, not tested?

The Sabah RCI began earlier this week and Mahathir, who previously warned the RCI would be ineffective, has already made an about-turn saying he was ready to testify before the panel.

“I’ve never turned down any subpoena, I’ve appeared before this commission before, different commission,” said Mahathir, referring to an RCI on alleged judge-fixing to influence court decisions by high-profile lawyer V.K. Lingam.

The 87-year-old who ruled Malaysia from 1981 to 2003 had earlier admitted he gave out citizenship but insisted that it was "within the law". When asked if the move was politically-motivated and to enable Umno to take over Sabah, Mahathir did not not give a direct answer.

“I mean that is their right. Once they become citizens, whether they support Umno, Barisan Nasional, that is their business. We know for a fact that not all of them are supporters of Barisan Nasional,” said Mahathir.

“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 not even tested? Why is it when he does it, it is not wrong, and when I do it, it’s wrong?” asked Mahathir.

Deflecting attention from his confidantes'

However, Mahathir who has been accused by PKR deputy president Azmin Ali of being the "real traitor" for selling citizenship-for-votes, did not explain why officers from the National Registration Department had told the RCI a day ago that his confidante - the late former deputy home affairs minister Megat Junid Megat Ayub - had ordered NRD’s Sabah branch to issue temporary documents so as to allow immigrants to vote in a 1994 state election.

Instead, the former PM deftly deflected attention from his confidantes' to Tunku, whom he alleged was worse than him.

“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 not even tested? Why is it when he does it, it is not wrong, and when I do it, it’s wrong?” asked Mahathir.

Doubletalk & ducking the core issue

But despite the ambiguity in Mahathir's explanation, Najib backed the older man's claim that citizenship was granted according to the law even though this explanation had yet to be verified.

He reminded the public not to jump into conclusion as only several of the 167 witnesses had testified so far.

“In fact, credit should be given to Barisan because we dare to tackle the issue head on,” Najib said.

However, his comments prompted accusations of "political hypocrisy" and "doubletalk".

"What sincerity is there and how can Najib say BN is tackling the issue head-on. It is the exact opposite. Sabahans want those who caused the social and economic mess punished. They don't want any glib explanation from Mahathir and Najib leading the chorus that it was legal and not due to Umno's greed to take over Sabah, not when there is so much testimony and evidence to the contrary. So don't duck the real issue or ignore the allegations about Megat Junid," Wilfrid Bumburing, the MP for Tuaran who recently quit the BN citing its failure to reform, told Malaysia Chronicle.

Malaysia Chronicle