Immigrants also obtained police cards, RCI told

SABAH RCI Illegal immigrants, mainly from the Philippines, had also received police identification cards to allow them to live in Malaysia without running into trouble with authorities.

The royal commission of inquiry (RCI) into illegal immigrants in Sabah heard today that the cards added to a multitude of other documentation immigrants were able to obtain to reside in Malaysia.

Nasir Abdullah and Sharlin Indah, two Filipino immigrants who came into the country in the early 80s, admitted to having received police cards, which had helped them to escape the authorities’ inspections.

Though vague in details, the two witnesses said that the cards were given to them in Sandakan when they first landed in Malaysia.

Immigrants have previously testified receiving birth certificates, identity cards (Blue IC), and IMM3 documents.

Both witnesses said they had never faced any action from authorities due to their possession of the cards.

However, Sandakan police chief Rowell Marong, who also testified before the RCI today, claimed he had no knowledge of this exercise.

“To be frank, I don’t know. I never met anyone (immigrant) who had a police card before,” he told the commission.

He also said that the Sandakan police do not have any records of issuing such cards, and pleaded ignorance as to the people who might have distributed the cards to immigrants.

“There are no records, and when I referred to Sabah police headquarters, even they do not know anything about this,” he said.

Rowell is also a former Special Branch officer.