Tawau MyKad syndicate just tip of the iceberg, says Kitingan

Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku president Jeffrey Kitingan.

KOTA KINABALU: Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR) president Jeffrey Kitingan suspects that the identity card syndicate uncovered with the arrests of three individuals in Tawau a few days ago is just the tip of the iceberg.

The Tambunan assemblyman and Keningau MP, while lauding the good work of the police, was concerned that there might be many other such secret identity card operations all over the state.

“A lucrative income can be obtained from this sort of criminal activity due to the huge market in illegal immigrants eager to get their hands on MyKads.

“As such, it is possible that many groups are operating secretly in major towns and cities in Sabah,” he said in a statement today.

“This assumption is valid based on the number of arrests for similar offences in the past. It is even more saddening because of the involvement of government officers working in the National Registration Department (NRD).

“The involvement of NRD personnel, directly or indirectly, raises many questions on the integrity of NRD.

“The department is seen to be among the first to be present at squatter settlements razed by fire. Such areas are believed to be occupied by illegal immigrants.”

Kitingan also said the police need to be more alert, with active underground intelligence to weed out MyKad-related crimes.

He said the Tawau case only surfaced thanks to a police report lodged by a victim.

It would have been more encouraging if the public had been told that the arrests were the result of police intelligence work, he added.

Kitingan also did not miss the critical detail in the police statement that the syndicate started offering documents, including birth certificates and MyKads, after the new government took office after the May 8 general election last year.

“The government, especially those tasked with security matters, should leave no stone unturned to thoroughly investigate NRD personnel and related departments to ensure this mess is resolved once and for all.

“A surge in the number of birth certificates and MyKads issued since last year would reveal the real story behind the scenes in Sabah.

“The locals are concerned that similar syndicates also exist throughout the state. As a citizen and the people’s representative, I would like to know if, following the Tawau arrests, there is a strategy to make drastic changes in the police operation to root out this type of crime,” he said. - FMT