KOTA KINABALU: The recent roundtable talk with the National Security Council on the Temporary Sabah Pass (PSS) plans has not solved anything, Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) said in its latest salvo against Upko, a state ruling party, today.
Party vice-president Johnny Mositun claimed the Upko-organised Dec 23 closed-door roundtable talk, which PBS had declined to attend, had been nothing more than a briefing and question-and-answer session.
Furthermore, he said, the security council need not adhere to the suggestions and recommendations made by those attending, including Upko’s top leaders.
“Home Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has already confirmed that the PSS will be implemented on June 1, 2020. Obviously, he would not have said so without federal Cabinet approval.
“Then, what is the point of having a roundtable talk and discussion with other parties?” he asked at a Christmas open house organised by a PBS division leader in Kampung Langkuas, Kinarut, 18km from here.
Mositun said implementing the PSS was akin to granting migrants permanent resident status as there was no limit as to the number of times the PSS can be renewed.
PBS and Upko have been locked in a debate over the PSS for the past week.
Mositun said although many were opposing the PSS, Upko had “intentionally singled out” PBS in its defence of the PSS implementation “as a way to restore its dropping political influence”.
Mositun claimed Upko had fallen out of favour with the Kadazan, Dusun and Murut communities, which were largely against the PSS.
He added that Upko was feeling pressured by this, especially as the Kimanis parliamentary by-election had been fixed for Jan 18.
He said “these attacks” were “a desperate bid by Upko to save face” and prove its usefulness to the Pakatan Harapan-Warisan state government in this by-election.
PSS holders are required to renew their cards every three years, with a fee of RM120.
The PSS, an identification card, is meant to replace IMM13, Surat Burung-Burung and the census certificate presently held by 136,055 migrants in Sabah.
The home ministry may also give the PSS to family members of the document holders, estimated to be around 600,000. - FMT
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