VIDEO | 1:37 mins

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak has denied claims made by opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim that Project IC which allegedly gives foreigners citizenship is continuing today under his administration.

Najib reiterated that former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad had said there is no secret project (project sulit) that the government has done.

“Those who had been given citizenship had followed the normal law process of the country and based on our federal constitution.”

The prime minister said this matter had been answered by clearly by Mahathir during the royal commission of inquiry (RCI) in Sabah.

Any other country, he said, had also offered citizenship following the conditions which had been laid out by each country.

“To say that there is a secret programme is untrue,” he said.

Anwar during the RCI had testified today that he believes that illegals are still being given ICs and its work are seen especially in Selangor as what was done in Sabah.

The opposition leader claimed that there is a secretive special task force that is responsible in arbitrarily granting citizenship under former premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and the present administration under Najib.

“I do not believe that they have been disbanded, therefore I do not understand why Abdullah and Najib have not been called (to the RCI),” Anwar said, adding Abdullah and Najib may have knowledge and better purview of understanding on the task force, which operates under the National Security Council.

Meanwhile, in an immediate reaction, Anwar told a press conference in Kota Kinabalu this evening that the premier would do better to explain himself before the RCI.

“The appropriate venue is (to testify at) the RCI like I did, to explain the government’s policies and answer the questions raised by Sabah’s citizens, the commissioners and the Sabah Bar,” he said.

Related stories

Don't blame it all on Dr M, says his nemesis

Najib and Pak Lah privy to Project IC, claims Anwar

After Dr M, his former deputy to testify at RCI