The signature campaign in Sabah initiated by the Patriotic Citizens Forum on Identity Cards (Pacific) will be officially launched on March 15 in Kota Kinabalu, in conjunction with World Consumer Rights Day.

Pacific president Patrick Sindu, who is also Consumer Association of Sabah and Labuan (Cash) president, told malaysiakini that they received an assurance from Sabah Police Commissioner Mangsor Ismail that a police permit for such a campaign is not necessary as long as there are no large public gatherings and public speeches.

The campaign is to collect at least 200,000 signatures in order to urge the federal government to set up a royal commission of inquiry into the numerous problems Sabah is facing with the large number of illegal immigrants, in particular the issuance of a large number of identity cards under dubious circumstances.

Sindu said Cash will use its network of divisional chairpersons throughout 52 districts in the state and the help of at least 20 non-governmental organisations as well as inviduals to distribute the signature campaign forums, 'if possible family to family or door to door.'

He emphasised that no one would be forced to sign.

'Desperate individual'

Meanwhile, another group called the Yayasan Islam Sabah led by a former chief minister Harris Salleh is also planning a signature drive, but with a different purpose.

They want the federal authorities to acknowledge surat akuan (statutory declaration) used for the issuance of identity cards and granting of citizenships to many illegal immigrants in the past as valid.

Commenting on this, Sindu said Harris who was chief minister from 1976 to 1985 as "a desperate, lonely and frustrated individual."

"A desperate person will do desperate things," he said, adding that Harris' aim was not being supported by the government but only by those who had a different agenda in wanting the legalise the illegals in Sabah.