Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein has ordered all agencies under his ministry to give full cooperation to the royal commission of inquiry (RCI) specially set up to investigate problem of illegal immigrants in Sabah.

He said the ministry did not want to disappoint the people of Sabah who wished to see the best solution found for the long-standing issue.

“We will ensure the objectives of the formation of the RCI will be realised and be a historic moment for Sabah. This matter is very close to the hearts of Sabahans.

“During the investigation period, we know that the Home Ministry’s agencies will be called up, so it's up to the RCI. We will do what is appropriate,” he said when met by reporters after receiving a Sabah state award at Istana Negeri in Kota Kinabalu yesterday.

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak had on Sept 21 handed over the appointment letters to the RCI chairperson, former Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Steve Shim Lip Kiong and the commission’s other members.

The secretary of the RCI is secretary-general of the Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry Saripuddin Kasim and the other members are Universiti Malaysia Sabah vice-chancellor Prof Dr Kamaruzzaman Ampon, former Sabah attorney-general Herman Luping, former state secretary KY Mustafa and Malaysian Crime Prevention Foundation deputy chairperson Henry Chin Poy Wu, who is also former Kuala Lumpur police chief.

Hishammuddin urged the public including those from the opposition parties not to politicise the effort as it could dent the government's sincere intention of tackling an inherited problem and not one that happened overnight in Sabah.

- Bernama

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