‘New Malaysians’ also getting BR1M aid

A Sabah MP says people who are not qualified are benefiting from the BR1M programme.

PENAMPANG: Scores of ineligible “new Malaysians” may be helping themselves to the government’s BR1M aid programme in Sabah, claims Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP).

Its deputy president, Eric Majimbun, said the RM500 handouts have benefited those who are not qualified for it, including former foreign nationals who have suddenly become Malaysians.

Majimbun, who is also Sepanggar MP, claimed that an Indonesian who had just obtained his Malaysian citizenship in November, was among the recipients of the aid.

He also displayed some documents to substantiate his claims over the incident, which was brought to his attention by a party leader in Kundasang, Japiril Suhaimi, who first discovered it.

“I believe this could be just the tip of the iceberg… there could be many more such cases which we do not know. This is a gross waste of the taxpayers’ money, which is supposed to benefit the bona fide Malaysian citizens,” he said.

He said there was no point lodging a police report over the matter, citing his previous experience involving the theft of his identity by an illegal immigrant, in 2008, where till today nothing has come out of it despite lodging a police report and raising it during a Barisan Nasional (BN) meeting.

Majimbun said while “new Malaysians” were getting such aid, in his constituency alone, more than 3,000 eligible applicants for the BR1M had been rejected.

“The relevant authorities have put the blame squarely on the Inland Revenue Board for the discrepancy,” he said.

The extraordinary 390% increase in Sabah’s population since 1970 compared to Sarawak’s 148% for the same period has set alarm bells ringing in the state, with calls for a Royal Commission of Inquiry to investigate claims that foreigners were granted citizenship in exchange for votes.

SAPP has proposed a unique solution to the issue if it gets to form the next state government. The party said it will move to issue the state’s own identity cards.

“To achieve this, we, the people of Sabah, must all unite as one united force to vote the BN out in this coming general election.

“We must succeed this time, otherwise we will be damned forever. Always remember that a vote for BN is a vote for Umno,” Majimbun said.