Sabah IC can guarantee Sabah's sovereignty, says Edward

KOTA KINABALU - Only with the Sabah IC will Sabah's sovereignty and security in Malaysia be guaranteed, said Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) Youth leader Edward Dagul, today.

"We want the rights and privileges of Sabahans to be guaranteed and protected as stipulated when Sabah helped form Malaysia," said Edward.

The Sabah IC will ensure that only genuine Malaysians in Sabah are entitled to the rights accorded citizens, like employment, and avoid the current mess when even illegal immigrants were employed as armed guards who literally turned their guns on their employers, said Edward, who was referring to the recent spate of violent crimes committed by holders of fake Mykads from Sabah in Kuala Lumpur.

With the Sabah IC, the government can also make sure that land applications, scholarships, trade licenses and entry to public services are properly allocated to those who qualify.

"It is in the SAPP manifesto that Sabah ICs may be issued to Malaysians who were in Sabah before August 31 in 1963 and their descendants as a matter of right and be issued to other genuine Malaysians who are permanently resident in Sabah", reiterated Edward, who has been an outspoken activist on the illegal immigrant issue.

"As a matter of law, it is against the constitution for the federal government to issue Sabahan status to foreigners thereby contravening the Malaysia Agreement and Constitution under which Immigration into Sabah, like Sarawak, is the power of the State government," said Edward.

Even the RCI on Illegal Immigration has taken note of the Sabah IC proposal. At the request of the RCI panel, SAPP President Datuk Yong Teck Lee had submitted the party proposal on the mechanism to issue Sabah IC to the RCI earlier this year."