RCI truths: PBS should quit Sabah BN

The revelations of RCI witnesses shows that the PBS government, from 1985-1994, was ousted with the help of ‘illegally’ legalised immigrants

KOTA KINABALU: Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), the victim of alleged election frauds by their comrades in arms, Umno, has been urged to leave the Barisan Nasional government now that it has been revealed that they were robbed of a resounding victory in the 1994 elections.

“They should leave the BN with dignity and without further delay,” DAP Sabah chairman Jimmy Wong said yesterday.

He said this when commenting on the startling revelations by witnesses at the ongoing Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on illegal immigrants in Sabah that pointed to election fraud.

Over the past week, witnesses have been giving testimony to the commission about how they were recruited by top government officers and registered as voters after being given Identity Cards or receipts for the same.

Some were immigrants from the neighbouring Philippines and Indonesia as well as from India and Pakistan. The only stipulation to gaining citizenship was that they be Muslims.

Former Sabah National Registration Department (NRD) officers backed up their claims when they testified earlier that they were following the orders of their superiors in the department as well as by a top Election Commission official.

‘Illegal government’

Wong said that now that it is in the open that the PBS-led state government which ruled for 1985 to 1994 was ousted from power with the help of unqualified immigrants, the party had no option but to pull out of the government.

Wong went on to accuse the present BN state government in which PBS is a member, of being an ‘illegal government’ as foreigners had taken part in the elections after being given citizenship and identity cards to enable them to vote.

“It means that the BN government in the past 20 years was indeed an illegal government, because they won the elections in an illegal way,” said Wong.

He urged Sabahans to come out in full force to make their stand known by voting against the state and federal governments out in the 13th General Election.

He said their support was crucial as the general elections would be a milestone in Sabah’s history and dirty and unfair tactics could be used as a last resort by the government to remain in power.

Wong also said the granting of citizenship to the foreigners was an insult to many genuine Malaysians born in Sabah who are still waiting for the approval of their citizenship by the relevant federal authorities.