Sabah RCI: ‘Immigrants determine election outcome’
TIME TO GO: Bumburing attended State Assembly
this morning and later rushed off for his appointment with the Sabah
RCI. – Borneo Insider photo by Edward James
“If you look at the statistical election results in certain constituencies, the presence of illegal immigrants determines the outcome of the election,” Wilfred told the royal commission of inquiry (RCI) into immigrants in Sabah in Kota Kinabalu today.
Wilfred (photo), who is also Tamparuli assemblyperson, said one example could be discerned in the parliamentary constituency of Batu Sapi.
“It is very clear there that the immigrants there have overwhelmed the local voters,” he said.
Wilfred, who has been in politics since 1985, said in the past, Muslim bumiputera and non-Muslim bumiputera in Sabah were in equal numbers.
However, this balance has been tilted through the illegal granting of citizenship status to Muslim immigrants.
“Last time the proportion in the state assembly was 20 non-Muslim bumiputera, 20 Muslim bumiputera and eight Chinese.
“Now, it has become 18 non-Muslim bumiputera, 34 Muslim bumiputera and eight Chinese seats,” said the former BN politician who is now pro-Pakatan Rakyat.
Wilfred said he had raised this matter when he was the BN’s Tuaran MP, but was brushed off by the Home Ministry.
‘Government knows the ICs given illegally’
Steve Shim (right) with Commissioner Henry Chin.
However, when pressed by Steve Shim, the former chief judge of Sabah and Sarawak who heads the RCI, on a mechanism for such a move, Wilfred insisted that it was the government that had the answer.
“The government knows which identity cards were given illegally.
“If the commission can compel the government to reveal them, then a large part of it is solved,” Wilfred said.
However, this did not mean that non-citizens who had stayed in Sabah for decades were to be expelled, he said, adding that they should be given permanent residency while their status was sorted out on a case-by-case basis.
He also submitted a memorandum containing research and evidence on the alleged illegal granting of citizenship to the RCI.
Wilfred, who was Upko deputy president and Tuaran MP, quit Upko last year and gave his backing to Pakatan Rakyat.
He failed to defend his Tuaran seat in last month’s general election but won the state seat of Tamparuli.
’140k squatters in Sabah’
Also taking the stand today was Sabah Local Government and Housing Ministry Planning and Coordination Unit assistant secretary Hadzlan Jablee.
He testified that of February this year, there were a total of 140,499 squatters across Sabah in 35,957 illegal houses.
“The data is 90 per cent complete with the exception of seven districts which did not submit data but they have few or no squatter areas,” he said.
Hadzlan conceded that the squatter was a magnet for illegal immigrants but said there is a plan to clear the squatters and relocate Malaysian citizens there into public housings.
“But for the non-citizens there we will leave it to other agencies,” he said.
A total of 10 witnesses testified at the RCI today and a total of 128 people have taken the stand since hearings began in January.
No comments:
Post a Comment