‘Free’ Mykads: Why the sudden concern, Anifah?

Some 1,000 MyKads are reportedly being issued per week by National Registration Department in Sabah's east coast belt.

KOTA KINABALU: Several Sabah Barisan Nasional component leaders have backed a call by Foreign Minister Anifah Aman to halt the issuance of MyKads to the 40,000 ‘stateless’ people in Sabah.

Why Anifah made this call at this late hour when it is a common knowledge that the National Registration Department (NRD) has been doing this for sometime is anyone’s guess.

Perhaps the fact that the ‘all important’ Sabah Bajau community had expressed their worry and an inferred threat had something to do with it, what with the general election nearing.

Following reports of the ‘free’ distribution of MyKads for foreigners, the Semporna Bumiputera Bajau Association president Mansor Santiri raised the community’s concerns saying that the whole exercise “made no sense” since genuine bumiputeras in Semporna were still without proper identification documents.

The Bajaus, who dominate east coast Sabah, are said to be Barisan Nasional’s ‘fixed deposit’ and Sabah Umno’s lifeline.

Semporna, where the MyKads are allegedly being freely distributed, is the parliamentary constituency of Rural and Regional Development Minister Shafie Apdal. He is also an Umno vice-president. Semporna constituency comprises Senallang, Sulabayan and Bongaya areas.

Shafie has been eyeing Chief Minister Musa Aman’s CM seat, and was allegedly the hand behind recent calls for Anifah to withdraw as incumbent in Kimanis. Anifah is Musa’s brother.

Known here too is that Sabah Umno is deeply divided between Musa and Shafie camps, with each trying to sabotage the other.

The NRD exercise according to locals in Lahad Datu and Sandakan is nothing new and well within the knowledge of Shafie.

Anifah’s call is also seen as a ‘payback’ to Shafie for allegedly instigating last month’s protest calling for Anifah’s exit from Kimanis

Nonetheless Anifah’s call has received the support of Deputy Natural Resource and Environment Minister, Joseph Kurup.

’1,000 MyKads a week’

Kurup, who is PBRS party president urged the government to conduct a ‘thorough investigation’ before issuing birth certificates and MyKads to these immigrants.

“I suggest a special committee to investigate the matter so as to stop certain people from obtaining the birth certificate and MyKad,” said Kurup.

Another BN component party, Upko has also given its support to Anifah’s call.

Said Upko deputy president Wilfred Bumburing: “I am personally receiving daily reports that the exercise to provide late birth certificates and MyKads are going on in major towns in the East Coast (of Sabah) and the number of such documents issued are reported to be in the region of 1,000 per week.”

He said it was simply not right to do so when there are children from the other communities such Kadazandusun-Murut who have been waiting long to get theirs.

“As I have repeated many times and have clearly stated in my memorandum which I have submitted to the Home Ministry, this is indeed a very serious matter as it really concerns the sovereignty of our country and Sabah in particular.

“The federal government should now seriously announce the setting up of the RCI, if indeed it has been approved by the Federal Cabinet, and get the commission to work immediately in order to get back the confidence of the bona fide Malaysian citizens in Sabah,” he said.

Bumburing, who is also Tuaran MP, has been vocal about wanting the federal government to establish an royal commission of inquiry (RCI) into the legalised illegal immigrant situation.

“The issues (foreigners and immigrants) concerned are what majority of Malaysians in Sabah want settled positively once and for all.” he said.