Come clean on RCI, Sabah Umno told

Perkida Sabah's stand on the RCI has put Barisan Nasional leaders in Sabah in a spot

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah government leaders have been challenged to state their stand on the rejection by Pekida Sabah of calls to set up a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on the extraordinary increase in the state population and the alleged issuance of Malaysian citizenship to foreigners in exchange for political support.

Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) said it was essential for state leaders to reply to the statement by the organisation chaired by Mohd Akjan B Datu Ali Muhammad, a businessman who crowned himself “Sultan of Sulu” in February this year.

SAPP vice-president Japiril Suhaimin said this when commenting on the statement by Akjan that Pekida objected to the setting up of the RCI.

“What we want to know is what the Sabah Umno leaders feel about this stand by Pekida Sabah?

“Why has there been a continued silence from these leaders on this issue? Do they agree with Akjan?

“Also, was it a mere coincidence that Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak was the guest of honour at the Pekida national function at Shah Alam Polytechnic on Dec 5?” Japiril said in a statement here yesterday.

Japiril added that Akjan’s statement was significant given that Najib reportedly promised to help Pekida in return for election support.

Sabah Umno leaders have been mum on the issue though some branch leaders have also rejected the call for an RCI on the matter.

Pairin in a spot

All the other Sabah Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders have voiced support for the RCI, but have declined to reveal their next step if the federal government rejected their demand to solve the decades-long issue of illegal immigrants in the state and fraudulently granting them Malaysian citizenship.

Japiril said the latest development has put them (BN leaders) in a situation where they must categorically state what they plan to do about the latest affront from a person known to be close to Umno.

In the spot is Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) leader Joseph Pairin Kitingan who has demanded that the federal government resolve the hot-button issue by 2012.

“What are Pairin’s feelings on this, as he is, after all, the head of Sabah’s committee on the PTI (illegal immigrants) issue?” Japiril asked.

Adding to the the confusion is the silence by the authorities on the outcome of the police investigation into Akjan’s “coronation” held at his house in Likas here in February.

“Have the police fully investigated the matter? One would have thought that a detailed explanation would be given in response to the police reports made by various quarters including our SAPP Youth,” Japiril said.

He said SAPP Youth had collected 100,000 signatures during its campaign to support the setting up of the RCI.

“We will do more, if necessary, until the federal authorities acquiesce to the demands of the rakyat,” he said.

‘Truth needs to be exposed’

The call for a royal inquiry was supported by the Parliamentary Select Committee studying opposition demands for clean and fair elections, which many claim have been skewed by an unusual increase in the number of Malaysians in Sabah.

“When SAPP expressed concern and asked the federal authorities to set up the RCI, it was to fully investigate the problem in toto.

“The truth needs to be exposed. If there was a so-called Identity Card (IC) syndicate, then those involved must be brought to trial and punished,” Japiril said.

On Akjan’s claim that those granted citizenship were former refugees, he said, the explanation flies in the face of clarification by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Nazri Abdul Aziz, that none of the 81,000 IMM13 holders had been granted Malaysian citizenship.

Umno using Akjan again

Meanwhile, in a separate statement, SAPP supreme council member Peter Marajin saw Akjan’s objection to the inquiry as a smoking-gun that could be traced to Sabah Umno.

“No wonder, despite calls by all concerned Sabahans to form the RCI, this particular political party (Sabah Umno) and its leaders, from national to branch level, are completely mute.

“Now they are making use of Akjan, who was an illegal himself and greatly benefited from this hidden agenda of tilting the Sabah population into a Muslim majority, to stop the RCI.

“What would the so-called Sabah leaders form PBS, Upko, PBRS and LDP have to say to this?

“Are they still prepared to play their ‘sandiwara’ (drama) just to perpetuate their positions in the government at the expense of Sabahans, our children and future generation?” he asked.

Marajin also said Akjan was quick to reject the royal inquiry but did not answer why he was arrested under the Internal Security Act in 1995, which was allegedly for his involvement in manufacturing fake Malaysian Identity Cards for foreigners.