272. Go for the Project IC holders as well

Not protecting Immigration crooks

Published on: Thursday, February 12, 2015  Daily Express

Kota Kinabalu: Immigration staff implicated in the visa-for-money scandal being investigated by the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) should not expect any sympathy from their bosses. They are on their own.
If found complicit, they will have to bear the full brunt of the law, warned Immigration Director-General Datuk Mustafa Ibrahim (pic), revealing to the Daily Express that such goings-on in this particular case only came to light recently.
"We will not protect them in any way," he said, pointing out that only those who are cleared of wrongdoing will be welcomed back.
As of Tuesday, some 23 suspects – eight of them immigration officers – were pulled in for questioning after it was discovered that quite a number of Pakistanis had been obtaining long term social visit passes fraudulently for as much as RM11,000 each via citing fake brides so as to stay on in the State.
One of the immigration officers was released on Monday.
The remaining suspects in custody are Pakistanis, the latest five, aged between 25 and 40, were picked up in Papar and remanded Wednesday.
"Action must be taken against those who have been proven to have committed crime. But I also believe the MACC will go after those who bribed the officers," he said.
He explained that social visit passes have expiry dates and those who have obtained the passes through dubious means could easily be detected when they attempt to renew these passes at the immigration counter.
Even if they attempt to renew online, the department would be able to detect them.
To a question on the whereabouts of the Pakistanis, he said he believed they are still in Sabah and once the department had identified them, they would be blacklisted.
"I wish to remind immigration officers and staff not to do any hanky panky or get themselves involved with corruption. I never denied that the public's perception towards my officers and staff is sometimes very low.
"I implore the public to change their perception and if it is proven that my officers or staff have done something wrong, come forward with evidence.
"I do not want the name of this department tarnished because of a few bad apples and I, as the Director General, will do my best to be fair and just," he said.
He denied that the immigration laws, sometimes described as too rigid, should be blamed for the scandal.
Instead, he pinned it on the attitude of some officers as well as customers who have instilled the culture of corruption as a shortcut to obtain something without going through the normal process.
So far, he said, there is no evidence that those in higher positions were involved in the scandal.
The scam first came to light last week when four immigration officers and a woman clerk were arrested in Lahad Datu following complaints that Pakistanis have been getting dubious long-term social visit passes to stay in the State.
During the initial arrest, the MACC confiscated two cheques for RM175,000 and RM7,500 during a raid on the suspects' house. MACC also seized cash amounting to RM50,000 from another house and several related files from the Lahad Datu immigration office for investigation.
According to an MACC spokesperson, it has caught most of the main culprits and is now tracing those who had engaged their services to obtain the long-term social visit passes and that those involved have been making millions of ringgit as it has been going on for some time.
Most of the officers picked up for questioning were Sabahan officers although it was reliably learnt that among them was a married couple from the peninsula but based in the State.

271. If Dr Chong En Leong is OK at the RCIIIS, Musa Aman must be DEAD.

Musa Aman is the traitor as he said it so clear---
Quote ---
According to Musa, the act of bringing in illegal immigrants, providing them employment and harbouring them at their premises, could be construed as acts of sabotage against the government’s national agenda.

Sabah Master Migrant Management Committee has set two priorities: Musa
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman said the Sabah Master Committee on Migrant Management today set two priorities to combat the issue of illegal immigrants in Sabah.
Musa who is also chairman of the permanent committee which was set up following the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) report on illegal immigrants in Sabah said one of the aspects was to prevent the entry of illegal immigrants into Sabah through tighter and more effective control at the border.
The second aspect said Musa was to repatriate illegal immigrants by empowering enforcement and to expedite the process of repatriation by obtaining the cooperation of the foreigner’s country of origin.
“At the same time, I want to take the opportunity to remind all parties to give their full cooperation to the government’s efforts. We do not want any parties to undermine the country in our effort to combat illegal immigrants,” he told reporters after chairing the first committee here, today.
Present were Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi who is the joint-chairman and Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar.
According to Musa, the act of bringing in illegal immigrants, providing them employment and harbouring them at their premises, could be construed as acts of sabotage against the government’s national agenda.
He said enforcement agencies had been given the mandate to not compromise and to act firmly against employers, protectors and syndicates found infringing the law.
According to Musa, since January this year, 18 employers were arrested under the related offences and 12 of them had been issued compounds while six others were charged in court.
“The people have been urged to give their cooperation and not to undermine the operation of enforcement personnel in safeguarding the interests of the people,” he said.-Bernama

270. Project IC holders are not concerned by the rotten leaders..

Pairin recommends special IC

 | Wednesday - February 11th, 2015

Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/news/sabah/#ixzz3RQui1GKm

Zahid (second left) handing over the letter of appointment to Pairin during the meeting yesterday.

KOTA KINABALU: A re-registration of Sabahan Malaysians with the issuance of a special identity card was among the recommended action plans cited by Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan upon receiving his appointment letter as chairman of the working committee on the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on illegal immigrants in Sabah yesterday.
While the idea of a special identification card for local Sabahans was not new, having previously been brought up by politicians from both the ruling and opposition parties, Pairin said the re-registration of Sabahans would stress on filtering immigrants illegals and those with refugee status, from locals.
We need to distinguish between locals and immigrants, which then get narrowed down to separating between refugees and illegal immigrants, and those without valid working passes or passports. These are the ones that we want deported, he said.
Pairin was speaking to reporters after a meeting with Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi at the Le Meridien here yesterday, where Pairin received the official letter of appointment as the chairman of the working committee.
The committees first meeting after receiving the long-awaited official letter of appointment will be on February 17.
Pairin, however, said the committee had met with senior officers of the Home Ministry on January 8 to discuss on matters pertaining to the issue.
One of the ideas proposed by the committee, he said, was to allow and take into consideration the ideas and suggestions put out by all parties, including politicians, NGOs and the public at large.
I have yet to receive any (suggestions or ideas) since I made that proposal, but I have been gathering relevant news extracts and statements from all parties, be they political or NGOs. We will take all these into account for more in-depth discussions on the matter, he said.
Pairin disclosed that the committees secretariat would be based at the Chief Ministers Department, as that is where the State Secretary, who has been appointed as one of the main secretaries, is based.
A draft cover and content framework of the report for the committees meeting had been outlined, but will continuously make space for additional ideas hoped to be obtained from various parties through discussions.
We have taken the initial steps needed to ensure that the Terms of Reference (TOR) of the RCI on illegal immigrants are realised. This is how serious the government is in solving the issue (of illegal immigrants) in the state, he said.
Pairin stressed that the enforcement of laws above the cooperation of all parties is the most important in determining the results of the action plan lined out by the committee.
We have existing immigration laws embedded within the Constitution, so we want enforcers to enforce their duties, he stressed.
Pairin said the plan would be a continuous effort, encouraging contribution of ideas from all parties.
Anybody who wishes to be involved, directly or indirectly, we welcome any ideas or suggestions with good intentions, he said.
Accepting a statement recently by the director-general of Immigration on the call to eradicate illegal immigrants by 2020 as a responsibility, Pairin considered it a good sign of commitment on the part of the Immigration Department.
He added that the issue of stateless children would also be included in the action plan of the working committee, although ultimately, it would involve enforcement of international law.
Yes, it will be included because it is also the result of the illegal immigrants issue in the first place. International laws will need to be enforced, in a way that the nationality of a child is determined by the nationality of his or her father, he said, adding that no detailed information was currently available until the committees next meeting on February 17.
Pairin also mooted a one-stop detention centre to overcome the problems of currently having scattered detention centres in the state.
Asked whether he felt the idea of an illegal immigrant-free state by 2020 achievable, Pairin admitted the complexity of the issue rendering the mission challenging.
Its a very complex issue. However, I appreciate the commitment that had been shown and we all need to work hard to accomplish the mission.
If there is something that we need to do to ensure that our state is free from illegal immigrants in two years, that will be great but everybody needs to move towards that direction to help overcome the issue.
We know it wont be easy but with the appointment, I have been given the trust, and I will do my best to achieve the target, he said.

269. 2,519,629 Malaysians in Sabah

2,519,629 Malaysians in Sabah

Population growth rate between 2010 and 2014 shows a sharp drop
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah experienced a reduced population increase from year 2000 to 2014. The average population increase between 1990 and 2000 was 42.84 per cent; between 2000 and 2010 it was 28.5 per cent and between 2010 and 2014, the average increase was 9.13 percent.
According to National Registration Department Director General, Datuk Sulaiman Keling during a meeting with the media following the launch of the department’s outreach programme held at Seri Mengasih yesterday, there were 2,519,629 registered Malaysians in Sabah in December 2014.
The number of registered Malaysians in Sabah in 1990 were 1,312,759, while in 2000 the figure stood at 1,832,439 and in 2010 at 2,309,692.
Hence, Sulaiman said that the allegation that there were more people in Sabah with the Malaysian nationality than in Sarawak may not ring true as there were 2,616,777 people in Sarawak with Malaysian citizenship as of December, 2014.
He also urged that the statistics provided by the National Registration Department (NRD) should not be confused with those provided by the Statistics Department.
“The population statistics rendered by the Statistics Department is inclusive of immigrants found as it focused more on socio-economy,” he said in an effort to explain why the figures presented by his department and that of the Statistics Department were different.
“The drastic population increase allegation in Sabah’s demographic record that there were five million Sabahans holding Malaysian citizenship is untrue. It is important that we understand that the demographic record statistics is produced by the Statistics Department and that this varies with the NRD (National Registration Department) record on Malaysian citizens,” he explained.
“The demographic record issued by the Statistics Department includes the overall population without considering their citizenship status … we (the NRD) are the custodian of all personal data of Malaysians,” he said.
At the same time, Sulaiman also commented on the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry on Illegal Immigrant in Sabah (RCI Sabah) which was presented on December 3, last year.
“Eight terms of reference were explained and the government has agreed to establish the permanent committee and working committee as proposed to ensure a ‘way forward’ solution,” he said.
He said that NRD welcomed the commission’s report and accepted the decisions that would be made by the government and would fully cooperate with the established committees to ensure the identification document issues in Sabah are resolved well.
“The commission has confirmed that the issuance of identity cards and citizenship to the people of Sabah by NRD officially are according to the terms, legislation and constitution of the country,” he said.
He said allegations were raised by witnesses comprising politicians, writers, journalists and members of the public during the RCI proceeding on the unsystematic issuance of identity cards between 1979 and 1995 by syndicates and irresponsible individuals.
“NRD has taken note of the matter and corrective, punitive and preventive actions have been taken,” he said.
He explained that the modus operandi in the issuance of the unsystematic identification cards by the irresponsible individuals were as follows: Abuse of the HNR10 Statutory Declaration by providing false information on ones’ birth and residency status; the issuance of identification card duplicates to ineligible candidates, hence resulting in overlapping records; and the issuance of ‘temporary identity card receipts’ to ineligible individuals.
The corrective measures undertaken by the NRD with regard to the matter had included the review and investigation of all records, as well as recalling the identity card holders that were considered irregular.
“Once the review and investigation is conducted, only those who qualified were issued with new identity cards.”
He stressed that the review process was ongoing and that until now, a total of 75,056 records were not issued with any new identity card replacement as the records were cancelled due to death or because the record holder did not present himself or herself for the inquiry or because the application was cancelled for failing to meet the requirements set.
He also stated that a total of 94 people have been arrested under the Internal Security Act 1960 (ISA) by the end of the 1990s and that 23 of them were NRD personnel.
“All the NRD personnel involved were sacked,” he said.
Preventive actions were also implemented to disallow any effort to manipulate the system, he said.
The actions undertaken included the discontinuation of the HNR10 Statutory Declaration usage as these could be manipulated by certain people, he said.
“Since March 30, 1987, every application for identification card must be accompanied by a birth certificate or a citizenship certificate,” he said.
Aside from that, the State Registration Regulations 1972 (Sabah), National Registration Regulations 1996 (Sarawak) and National Registration Regulations 1960 were repealed and coordinated under one uniform regulation throughout the country known as the National Registration Regulations 1990 in 1990.
NRD also began using the Automated Fingerprint Identification System or AFIS which addressed many efforts to swindle and produce duplicates identification cards, he said.
“Personally, I feel that this has resolved problems associated with the issuance of duplicates identity card……perhaps the system can be defeated if someone willingly chops off his or her finger and give it to someone else but even then, the chopped finger would have rotted by then.”
He added that in the context of Sabah, a special committee was created by NRD Sabah and its headquarters would consider and decide on problematic identification card applications.
“Collective decisions are made by the panel,” he said.
Additionally, the identity cards issued also come with 13 safety features, he said. Aside from that, NRD was also linked with over 260 government agencies through the Agency Link-up system (ALIS) to re-affirm a person’s identification.
Also present at the event was Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department Datuk Edward Yong.

268. Shut up if not keen to join

Shut up if not keen to join

Published on: Sunday, January 04, 2015  Daily Express

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah DAP Chairman Jimmy Wong should "think local" instead of criticising the efforts of three political parties in Sabah and 21 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to set up an Independent Committee to push the Federal Government to take actions to solve the illegals problem in the State.
Secretary of the Independent Monitoring and Action Committee on RCI, James Stephens, said this in response to Wong who criticised the formation of the Committee headed by Star Sabah Chief Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan on Thursday.
"There are notable leaders in the Independent Committee including Tamparuli Assemblyman Datuk Seri Wilfred Bumburing, Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) President Datuk Yong Teck Lee, former State Finance Minister Datuk Mohd Noor Mansoor, former Deputy Federal Minister Datuk Kalakau Untol, former assemblyman Datuk James Ligunjang and activist Daniel John Jambun as well as a host of fresh faces of an emerging new generation of Sabahan activitist.
"The Independent Committee, known as the 'Monitoring and Action Committee', has made it clear that like-minded parties and NGOs may join the committee.
"If Wong, who is also Kota Kinabalu MP, considers that he or his party can give input and proposals in solving the long outstanding illegals problem, then of course, he is welcomed.
"Although the Committee has met four times, it is still not too late for Wong and his colleagues to join us," said Stephens.
However, he said if Wong does not wish to join, then he and other DAP leaders should respect local parties and NGOs in their efforts to address the perennial issue.
"It is sad that so far, neither Wong nor the DAP has come up with any proposal on how to solve the illegals problem in Sabah.
"Neither did the DAP as a party has presented any proposal or witness to the RCI hearing during its yearlong public hearings," Stephens said.
He said the illegals problem in Sabah is a very serious one that affects Sabah and the people of Sabah in every aspect.
"As concerned Malaysians in Sabah, everyone should put in an effort to assist in resolving the mess now that there is an opportunity to do so," he said.

267. Committee should include opposition and NGOs: Lajim

Quote 'The committee will scrutinise and study the RCI's findings and its issues for the purpose of future improvement."



Committee should include opposition and NGOs: Lajim  Daily Express

Published on: Sunday, January 04, 2015

KOTA KINABALU: The panel members of the Working Committee on Foreign Migrants in Sabah should not be monopolised by government departments and agencies if it aims to come up with effective and viable solutions to resolve the perennial problems of illegal immigrants in the State.
Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Sabah Chairman Datuk Lajim Ukin said the Working Committee headed by Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan should consider including the Opposition and relevant non-government organisation (NGOs) leaders so as to get better inputs.
"We strongly believe that the Working Committee should act similarly like an independent body and involve various quarters including Opposition leaders to sit in the Committee.
"This is because we also have our own views and solutions as well as experts on the issue that would be useful for the Committee.
"By doing so, all members could have effective and open mind discussion, and able to get feedback from those people and leaders who have inputs and resolutions to overcome the longstanding issue," he said, Friday.
He was commenting on whether the Opposition parties in Sabah should be invited to be in the Working Committee.
Nonetheless, Lajim said PKR Sabah is ever ready and willing to be part of the Working Committee as the issue of huge presence of illegal immigrants in Sabah is not an issue that concerns Sabah but a national issue that affects all.
At the same time, he said they could also see how the Terms of Reference (ToRs) for the Working Committee could be effective in addressing the findings of Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on illegal immigrants' problems in Sabah.
Hence, he said it is imperative for Pairin to truly consider inviting the Opposition and NGOs leaders to sit in the Working Committee as a way of getting all eligible leaders from the government authorities and oppositions for better transparency and positive results.
To a question, Lajim said the party likely to send its member Dr Chong Eng Leong to sit among the panel in the Working Committee if Pairin decides to invite only one representative from the Opposition.
He said Dr Chong Eng Leong is the most suitable candidate to be in the Committee as he has long been doing thorough research on the issue and had even published a book on the decades-long problem.
However, he said if Pairin requires three representatives from the Opposition, then a meeting would be held among the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) to discuss suitable candidates to be considered for the Committee.
On Dec 16, last year, Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi revealed that the Terms of Reference (ToR) as guidelines for Working Committee and Permanent Committee that have been approved to be set up following the reveal of the RCI report on illegal immigrants problem in Sabah. He revealed the ToRs for Working Committee as below:-
The committee will scrutinise and study the RCI's findings and its issues for the purpose of future improvement.
Study public feedback and complaints as well as opinions from forums and consultations on the management of foreigners in Sabah,
Study implementation on the management of foreigners in Sabah,
Submitting recommendations on the position of foreigners based on existing laws and regulations,
Preparing an action plan to resolve the problems of foreigners in terms of social, economy, security and other aspects.
The Working committee comprised the Home ministry, Immigration Department, National Registration Department (NRD), Human Resource Department, National Security Council (NSC), Chief Minister's Department, Sabah Federal Taskforce. Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom), Police, Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), Sabah Ports Authority, State Attorney General, and relevant agencies.

266. 'Project IC': PKR Sabah wants cops to launch probe

'Project IC': PKR Sabah wants cops to launch probe

Published on: Saturday, January 03, 2015

KOTA MARUDU: The police have been urged to launch an investigation into the so-called "Project IC" in Sabah. In making the call, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Sabah Information Chief Datuk Maijol Mahap said the testimonies of several witnesses in the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on Illegal Immigrants in Sabah showed overwhelming evidence on the illegal issuance of Malaysian identity cards (ICs) to foreigners.
"Some call it 'Project IC' and some call it 'Project Mahathir'. It doesn't matter what it is called, the fact is that there was a grand design from Kuala Lumpur conniving with some local leaders to grant Malaysian ICs and citizenship to hundreds of thousands of foreigners in Sabah through illegal means and then turned them into voters.
"This is a scandal and crime of the highest order. They are selling our country. So I urge the police to conduct a thorough investigation on the matter.
"In the past, we often heard about the police being reluctant to conduct investigation because of lack of evidence or even if there was, it was based on hearsay. But now we have all the evidence before them and there is no more reason for them not to act," he said.
Maijol, who is also PKR Kota Marudu Division Chief, said this after lodging a police report at the district police station here, Thursday, accompanied by several divisional committee members.
According to him, the Term of Reference (TOR) No. 3 called on the commission to enquire whether the immigrants in Sabah who are holding blue ICs, temporary identification receipts or citizenship that were obtained not in accordance with the law have been registered as voters.
"The RCI report shows ample evidence that foreign immigrants were issued with blue ICs illegally by certain syndicates and/or individuals and registered as voters in the electoral rolls.
"Based on our investigations, the IC numbers given to these people are the P1 and P2 numbers which are H0288001 to H0384000 and H0480001 to H0576000.
"There are also many foreign immigrants including their older children without an old IC number but in possession of dubious Bunga Raya ICs or MyKads.
"Based on our assessment, by now there are around 200,000 non-qualified voters in the current Sabah Electoral Roll which has just over one million voters," claimed Maijol.
"Although the TOR 3 does not include recommendations, there is an indirect message to the authorities as stated in the report on Page 307 (English version) last paragraph which says '...they have obtained their ICs based on false information. We understand that their names are still in the electoral rolls. If not rectified, this can have serious repercussions.'
"On that premises, we would like to urge the Election Commission to take proactive action to get rid of the names of these non-citizens in the electoral rolls. We also urge the police to investigate the matter. We also hope the Working Committee headed by Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan will address these two very important matters.
"I know the Government has amended the Election Act after the Likas election petition in 1999 to prevent people from challenging the gazetted electoral rolls. The amendment says that the Electoral Rolls even tainted with illegal voters can not be challenged in the court of law.
"But the Constitution which is the supreme law in this country specifies that only citizens are qualified to be registered as voters.
Therefore, the legality of the amendment can be challenged because the net effect of it is that it allows non-citizens to vote, which is not allowed by the Constitution. In other words, it is ultra-vires the Constitution and, therefore, unconstitutional," Maijol said.