The United PasokMomogun KadazanDusunMurut Organisation (Upko) says it has “irrefutable” evidence that thousands of illegal immigrants in Sabah hold MyKads, which are only available from the National Registration Department (NRD). It is believed they were issued both directly and “indirectly”.

Upko is not sure why the NRD did not act in accordance with the National Registration Regulation 1990 and the National Registration Act 1959 of the Federal Constitution, in regards to issuing MyKads in Sabah.

willy Upko deputy president Wilfred Bumburing ( left ) says the party is now compiling all its evidence, old and new, into a report for submission to Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein. He did not specify a deadline.            

“We expect the necessary follow-up action to be taken because we have detailed the required evidence,” said Bumburing, also the Tuaran MP. “We will seek a guarantee from the Home Minister that concrete action will be taken once he receives the proof from us.”

Bumburing however did not specify when they intended to submit the report and what kind of action they expected from the ministry.

NONE The Upko report will also include the case of seven NRD officers who, several years ago, were held under the Internal Security Act (ISA) in relation to the issuance of MyKads to illegal immigrants.

The officers were released after two years without any charges being brought against them.

Bumburing also wants the home minister ( right ) to study additional input from the workings of the 2006 Cabinet Committee on Integrity headed by Upko chief Bernard Giluk Dompok.

The committee, according to the Upko report, has gathered testimonials from witnesses during hearings held in Sabah.

“We believe that the cabinet committee alone has all the relevant information to enable the Home Ministry to take the necessary action on the issuance of MyKads to illegal immigrants,” said Bumburing.

Case histories ignored

The Tuaran MP plans to remind Hishammuddin that both the Immigration Department and the NRD only sent junior officers as representatives, and eventually boycotted the committee hearings, causing Upko’s chief to resign as the committee chairperson.

The scope of the report has not yet been revealed, but party sources revealed that it will include a bulky appendix of information previously made available to the Home Ministry and not disputed by the federal government.

The appendix includes a Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) report handed over by then secretary-general Radin Malleh to the Elections Commission (EC) on May 29, 1997, and a duplicate copy submitted on June 26, 2001.

The PBS reports detail names of 73,720 illegal immigrants with MyKads on the electoral rolls. PBS, in a covering letter attached to the 2001 report, also requested for the names of the 81,000 illegal immigrants supposedly removed from the electoral rolls in 1999.

It also includes extracts from the Suhakam annual reports from 2000 to present, which detail the illegal immigrant phenomenon in Sabah with specific reference to the MyKad issue.

The Suhakam reports allege that thousands of illegal immigrants in Sabah have been given the MyKad, including a category of MyKads which can only be used for voting and nothing else. Such MyKad holders are allegedly forbidden from leaving Sabah.

Remembering Likas

Another item on the appendix is former Sandakan district chief Hassnar Ebrahim’s arrest in Aug 9, 1998 under ISA and his two year detention followed by two years of house arrest.

suhakam roundtable kk sabah 020806 dr chong eng leong Hassnar was among the material witnesses on the 1999 Likas election petition by activist Dr Chong Eng Leong ( left ).

The petition successfully proved in open court that the electoral rolls of the state seat were riddled with illegal immigrants holding MyKads. The Likas election petition will also be included in the appendix.

The home minister had earlier made a blanket denial in Parliament of the existence of such a problem.

When pressed, he challenged Bumburing on June 25 to provide evidence on the issue of illegal immigrants with MyKads or hold his peace.

He vaguely pledged to take action against the NRD officers concerned, but did not mention what action he would take on the illegals themselves.