Dangerous to auto-register Sabah babies

Is the National Registration Department's plan to automatically register newborns in Sabah hospitals yet another of Umno's covert agendas in the state?

KOTA KINABALU: The federal government’s plan to automatically register  new-born babies in Sabah government hospital is a bad idea and will only open yet another floodgate, says its Barisan Nasional ally Parti Bersatu Sabah.

A party supreme council member, Chin Tek Ming said the proposed plan is “definetly” subject to abuse”.

Chin was responding to a statement by deputy Home Minister Wan Junadi Jaafar last week that the National Registration Department Home was planning to introduce the automatic registration of newborns in hospitals.

Chin’s concern were based on the fact that the state is already inundated with legalized illegals and foreigners.

It is common knowledge here that these foreigners and illegal immigrants are the ones flooding the government hospitals in Sabah.

The other concern, said Chin, is that some grassroot leaders could not be trusted.

“We cannot rely entirely on the penghulu, ketua kampung or kapitan to attest to the genuineness of eligibility to register a new-born although it is their task to assist in the registration exercise.

“The proposed plan is definitely subject to be abused by irresponsible persons”.

“To make sure the system is not abused, NRD officials must be present to ensure the newly born is legitimate and is the off-spring off citizens before registration can be done,” Chin said.

He further suggested that the Home Ministry defer its plans for the time being until the issue of illegal immigrants in Sabah is resolved.

Is this another plan?

Socio-political observers are conscious of the fact that the testimonies of witnesses in the ongoing Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) here has laid bare the facts about the federal government’s insidious plans in the past to increase the state’s Muslim population in order to ensure the continuity of Umno and BN’s fixed deposits.

Thus far some 107 witnesses have testified at the RCI which began in January. The testimonies showed that the covert agenda in the 1990s commonly known as Project IC or Project M was carried out under the directive of the “highest level” of authority.

The RCI  on illegal immigrants in Sabah, incidentally resumes today and will proceed until June 21.

Analysts here believe the agenda is still in force citing NRD’s contensious move to register thousands of stateless children early last year in Semporna under the pretext of late registrations of births.

Legalised illegals now outnumber genuine native Sabahans and there are reportedly thousands of stateless children in Sabah.

Sabahans are wary that the federal government will continue to use “other means” to ensure their covert agenda in further marginalizing the local native population.

According to Chin any bid to introduce the NRD plan would open a floodgate of  illegal immigrants.

“It is an open secret that there are people behind the syndicates of phantom voters have abused the late registration (of births) process.

“Sabah does not need even a single more illegal immigrant. By introducing the (proposed) plan it will definitely open up a flood gate because there is no check and balance in person by National Registration Department to enter the birth registration,” said Chin.