No point forming another team: Sabah PKR
Published on: Sunday, March 12, 2017
Kota Kinabalu: Sabah-based opposition parties differ in their opinions on the setting up of a special team as announced recently by the Government to investigate syndicates issuing false identity cards in Sabah.Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Sabah Chairperson Christina Liew said there is no point to form yet another team when the existing Royal Commission Inquiry (RCI) on the presence of illegal immigrants set up by the Government three years ago has not even reached a decision on the perennial issue.She questioned the rationale for the Government to set up the special team that may be due to the general election nearing.ADVERTISEMENT "Will the terms of reference in the special team be the same as the RCI team three years ago? What happened to the RCI reports? "The investigative hearings were conducted by the panel appointed by the Government itself and the submission and recommendations by the relevant parties, including the Sabah Law Association and other individuals. "Until today, there is no news, no decision and no action from the Government. Now the Chief Minister is talking about forming a special team to probe the illegal ICs in Sabah...why? Is it because the election is coming?" she said.ADVERTISEMENT Liew was commenting on the announcement by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman in a joint statement in conjunction with the meeting of the Steering Committee on the Management of Foreign Nationals in Sabah (JKPWAS-Induk) held in Putrajaya, on Thursday.Based on the evidence given in the RCI hearings, she said ICs issued by the National Registration Department (NRD) and other relevant departments are genuine but these were issued illegally and wrongly to the wrong parties.
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"So if the State Government was talking about probing the ICs, I can safely assume that there is nothing wrong with the ICs per se, only the procedures and recipients that are wrong. "The trouble with the BN government is that they have no political will to resolve this IC and illegal immigrant issues. "It is lip service only. Talk but no action. No point to form yet another team when they should just adopt the RCI reports and act accordingly," she said.Liew, who is also Api-Api assemblywoman, said there is no need to have another round of investigations of the ICs as there have been more than enough evidence in the RCI hearings and the recommendations submitted to the Government.On the other hand, Parti Harapan Rakyat Sabah (Harapan Rakyat) lauded the setting up of the special team to probe into syndicates issuing fake Malaysian ICs in Sabah as the issue was a serious one.Its President Datuk Seri Lajim Ukin also emphasised the need of expediting the process of establishing the team to fully address the activities of these syndicates in the State."I really hope that the special team would be set up very soon without delay and the Government needs to be serious in implementing it so as to ensure public interest, especially in Sabah, would not be duly affected by these syndicates."This special team must also be given full authority, apart from following existing laws and procedures related to these serious activities of issuing fake Malaysian ICs in Sabah," he said.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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Lajim, who is also Klias Assemblyman, said the party welcomed such move for the sake of Sabah as it is imperative for the Government to clean up the electoral rolls and remove those who may possess fake ICs in the voters' registration.By doing so, he said this will ensure a smooth implementation in the coming 14th General Election (GE14) and the electoral roll will be clear of phantom voters.