Reissue MyKads and check nationwide
Published on: Wednesday, February 21, 2018
Kota Kinabalu: Both United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Organisation (Upko) and Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) voiced concern over revelations that subversives are getting hold of fake MyKads in Sabah to enter the peninsula.Upko Youth repeated its call on the Federal Government to recall all Malaysian identity cards in Sabah and re-issue citizens with new ones.The movement's chief Arthur Tsen said that it is the only way to totally resolve the long-standing issue of fake identity cards in the state.
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"The issue had been raised so many times. Today I read in the papers about an order for random scanning. If the purpose is to prevent Islamic State members leaving the state, what about those who are already here. This will surely expose us living in Sabah to threats from these terrorists," he said.He was referring to an order issued by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to Immigration Department Director-General to station officers at airports in Sabah to randomly scan identity cards to prevent anyone from flying to Peninsular Malaysia using fake ones. There have been many cases lately of people,
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particularly Filipinos, being caught in the peninsula holding Mykads they sourced in Sabah. Some have joined the security services there, besides being involved in criminal activities, including murder.
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Zahid, who is also Home Minister, had also said that other than enforcement at the airport, the government had been taking actions to ensure fake identity card holders did not get away undetected by the NRD and Immigration Department.Lauding the order issued by Zahid, Arthur said it only proves to show that fake identity card syndicates exist, a fact also mentioned in the Royal Commission of Inquiry on illegal immigrants in Sabah.But he insisted that a total solution lay in recalling all identity cards in the state as proposed by the RCI and agreed upon by Upko former President and Acting President Tan Sri Bernard Dompok and Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau, respectively."What about those who have been living and having children and even grandchildren in Sabah? We must not forget that we have in our hands a problem with children who don't have citizenship. Many of them have grown up now. How are we going to resolve this problem?" he asked.He said the party had done its own research on the "Projek IC" and fake IC syndicates and sent the report to the RCI when it was in session.Based on this argument, Arthur urged the Federal Government to take action to resolve the issue for good as a random scanning approach in airports may not be enough in view of their numbers already in the state plus the fact that they can enter through any point of the state's long coastline.Meanwhile, PBS said random scanning of identification cards should be conducted all over the country and not only at entry and exit points.Its Sec-Gen Datuk Johnny Mositun said this is because there are many cases of fake MyKads used by foreigners to pass themselves off as Malaysians.The most recent case was in Johor and it involved 20 Filipinos who were caught using fake or someone else's identification cards, he pointed out."But we have heard of cases of peddlers in Kuala Lumpur who were caught with dubious Malaysian identity cards, too. That is why the Immigration Department and National Registration Department (NRD) must also conduct random checks at these places," he said."The media has also reported that some of those using dubious Malaysian identity cards have even gotten jobs as security guards. We must ensure that this does not happen again," he added.Mositun said that after all, weeding out dubious holders of identity cards is also one the objectives of Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on the presence of illegal immigrants in Sabah.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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