The letters from Tanak Wagu and Gaman provide classic examples of how government officials misuse their responsibilities at the expense of national security. The recent arrests of several National Registration Department officials show that this is a critical issue that the government should not take for granted.

The issue of fake Malaysian identification cards in Sabah is not new and has been the concern of many parties including politicians, academicians and the ordinary people. But the problem is that the authorities seem to turned a deaf ear to this issue.

In echoing Gaman's call, I urge the government to check all Malaysian identification cards issued to foreigners particularly to Filipinos and Indonesians. In Sabah, one is perplexed to see how Malaysian identification cards are issued freely to Filipinos and Indonesians who can hardly speak Bahasa Malaysia. Isn't the ability to speak Bahasa Malaysia one of the pre-requisites to obtain a Malaysian citizenship?

I am not against the issuance of Malaysian identification cards to foreigners especially to those who deserve them. But what concerns me is that there seems to be a lot of discrepancies in the applications for this document especially those made by foreigners.

These discrepancies occur when it comes to the critical part of the applicant's background namely his or her religion. One obvious example affects my father, a Filipino by birth but very much Malaysian at heart. My father has been residing in Malaysia for more than 40 years.

He migrated to Malaysia in 1959 and since then has regarded Malaysia as his true home. He is married to a Malaysian and has raised three children. One has left for England while the other two are still living in Malaysia.

According to my father, he has applied for a Malaysian identification card twice but until today, he has not obtained any reply from the National Registration Department. But I see that a number of his Filipino friends have managed to get their Malaysian identification cards.

And to my surprise, many of them have changed their names and religion! When I asked my father why is this so, he vividly remembers, '... those days (he refers to Usno's rule of Sabah), it was easy to obtain a Malaysian citizenship if you were willing to change your name (to a Malay name) and religion (to Islam)'.

Out of curiosity, I asked my father why didn't he change his name and religion in order to obtain a Malaysian identification card at that time. He replied tersely, "Why should I change my name and religion ... I was born a Christian and the Christian faith has always been part and parcel of my life'.

Now 65, my father does not seem to show any sign of giving up hope of a Malaysian IC. Acquiring it through the proper channel has always been his main aim.

Under the leadership of Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, our prime minister, it is hoped that the government will give utmost priority to those applicants who meet the requirements of the Malaysian Constitution.

The actions of National Registration Department officials must be monitored from time to time to ensure that they do not abuse their responsibilities by deliberately asking the applicants - however discreetly - to change their names and religion in order to qualify for a Malaysian identification card.

After all, the Malaysian Constitution has never stated that an applicant for a Malaysian identification card must be a Malay and a Muslim. It will take a strong political will and sincerity from all Malaysians to make Malaysia the true home of all deserving people irrespective of their cultural and religious backgrounds.