Permanent resident voted in three elections, RCI told

A permanent resident was able to register himself as a voter and went on to vote in three elections, the Royal Commission of Inquiry on Immigrants in Sabah heard today.

Omar Mohd Subair, who took the stand at the public hearing, admitted that he was a voter after he was grilled by conducting officer Jamil Aripin who poked holes in his statement.

"After receiving your birth certificate, you applied to change to a blue identity card (citizen) in 1999 and the NRD (National Registration Department) issued you a temporary receipt containing 12 digit numbers.

"Without the knowledge of Election Commission, you passed off the 12 digit number in the receipt, which was a red identity card number, as a blue one and registered as a voter," said Jamil as a nervous Omar concurred.

Omar proceeded to register as a voter in 1991 and subsequently voted in the 1999 and 2004 general elections as well as the 1994 Sabah state elections.

Jamil explained that Omar had exploited a flaw as the 12-digit system was implemented in the same year - 1999.

He said the EC, which was in the process of updating to this new system, failed to cross reference the new 12-digit numbers with the old identity card numbers which the prefix 'H', indicating that they are red ICs.

[More to follow]