The attorney-general (AG) rebuffed reporters' suggestion that those who had served time under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for being part of citizenship-issuing syndicates stand trial.

The royal commission of inquiry (RCI) report on immigrants in Sabah released yesterday named five witnesses who had testified to being part of a citizenship scheme, and had been detained for it under the ISA.

“Before, maybe people were doing things without (needing to go to) trial... and you people supported it too.

“Your newspapers supported the ISA, so don't now tell me you want a trial,” AG Abdul Gani Patail shot back when asked if the ex-ISA detainees will now face trial for involvement in the racket.

He was speaking to reporters after the much-anticipated unveiling of the 376-page RCI report, six months after it was tabled to cabinet.

The five witnesses, all former National Registration Department (NRD) officers, had told the RCI they had issued Malaysian identifying documents to illegal immigrants so they could be registered as voters.

Mohd Nasir Sungip, a former Sabah NRD deputy director said he had replaced names in temporary identity card (IC) receipts and had given the receipts to Muslim Filipino and Indonesian immigrants.

The immigrants would then use the receipts to register as voters, thereby raising the number of Muslim voters in Sabah, he testified.

'Coached to vote Muslim'

Ramli Kamaruddin, former Sabah NRD director, said he was instructed to issue NRD receipts to illegal immigrants, who would later be registered in “grey” constituencies and be coached to vote.

This was so the government would be more “Islam-based”, as Sabah was led by the Christian-dominated PBS, the RCI report reads.

Kee Dzulkifli Kee Abdul Jalil, once a Kota Kinabalu NRD clerk testified he had helped in issuing identity cards and birth certificates to Muslim immigrants from the Philippines, Indonesia and Pakistan, and registering them as voters.

Asli Sidup, a former NRD assistant registration officer and Akop @ Yakop Damsah, former NRD Tamparuli head, testified to have taken part in an exercise to issue ICs to immigrants so there would be more Muslim voters in Sabah.

All had then been detained under the ISA, some for as long as 26 months, for issuing illegal ICs to immigrants.

However, the RCI concluded that the issuance of illegal identifying documents was done primarily for profit.

It cited Sarawak Special Branch chief Ibrahim Zakaria who testified that of the 94 suspected detained under the ISA for involvement in the racket, 24 were from NRD.

“According to him, the sole motive was financial gain,” the RCI report said.

It also cited Upko chief Bernard Dompok's research in 13 locations where locals claim to have purchased ICs via 'Project IC' for RM2,000 to RM5,000, from those claiming to be from the NRD.

“Indeed as far back as 1999, it was already reported in the local newspapers in Sabah, that it was a lucrative business being involved in fake ICs or genuine ICs illegally issued.

“There was much money to be made by syndicates or individuals or corrupt officials because a false IC could fetch between RM400 to RM500 and a Malaysian passport could cost up to RM50,000,” the report said.

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