The party claimed last week to have obtained a document showing that Umno had applied to the home ministry for 2,000 foreign workers in Hulu Selangor to be given citizenship.
Although the Umno division there and the home ministry have denied the allegations, PKR has continued to call for police to investigate the claim.
In a press conference at the PKR headquarters today, former senator for Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) Dr Chong Eng Leong said that the tactics are similar to those allegedly employed in the past in Sabah, which saw PBS, who had yet to join then, win just 25 of 48 seats in the 1994 state election, down from 36 in the previous state polls.
Lawmaker defections later allowed BN to form the state government which it has held since then.
“I believe they are using the same tactics of placing voters in strategic seats to swing the election,” the former PBS supreme council member said.
Dr Chong, now a PKR member, claimed that when Umno first expanded to Sabah in 1991, a task force was formed to give immigrants citizenship and register them as voters and Umno members.
He claimed this was disclosed to him by the secretary of the task force.
Dr Chong dubbed the alleged task force “Project IC” (identification card), saying that Umno had targeted 32 of the 48 seats prior to the 1994 state polls and won 23 of them.
The document that was first revealed by Selangor PKR deputy chief Zuraida Kamaruddin last week, stated that Umno had “identified and validated” a list of prospective voters with permanent resident (PR) status here “who can help BN in Hulu Selangor for the 13th general election”.
“Attached herewith is a list of names of those who can become voters in Hulu Selangor and we have also conducted a strict screening of each individual to ensure they are free from any criminal or drug charges or follow any dangerous or misguided ideology.
“They are students and entrepreneurs, and together they can help develop the country towards becoming more progressive, in addition to helping BN win every election, especially the coming 13th general election,” it read.
Zuraida added today that even though Hulu Selangor Umno had denied that the application had come from them, police must still investigate the matter.
“It doesn’t matter if the division chief says it is not his signature. The application was made and it is a breach of national security,” the Ampang MP said.
The parliamentary seat was held by PKR after the 2008 election by a majority of just 198 votes but a by-election in 2010 saw the seat return to BN after P. Kamalanathan won with a 1,725-vote majority.
Dr Chong had lost in 1999 in the Likas state seat to BN candidate Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee but won an election petition after complaining of phantom voters on the electoral roll.
However, Yong still beat Dr Chong in the subsequent by-election in 2001.
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