The Malaysian Insight

A ROYAL commission of inquiry into the issuance of identification documents to illegals in Sabah should be formed, said Maximus Ongkili.

The Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) president said it will serve as a follow-up to the 2012 RCI, which heard numerous instances of illegal immigrants in the state being given MyKad, birth certificates and permanent resident status.

“It is time to find a permanent solution to this long-standing problem.

“Much evidence was given in the first RCI, such as the issuance of documents and the existence of ‘Projek IC’, an infamous syndicate back in the 1990s.

“We (PBS) hope that a second RCI will be able to make things right,” he said after chairing the party’s supreme council meeting in Penampang today.

He said many recommendations were submitted to the technical committee formed after the 2012 RCI completed its report, but to date, nothing has been done to implement them.

The technical committee was chaired by former chief minister Joseph Pairin Kitingan, who also founded PBS.

Ongkili said the proposal for a second RCI is in response to public complaints and media reports on the issue of illegals.

“The RCI must look into the issuance of birth certificates and granting of permanent resident status to non-Malaysians. Those granted permanent resident status automatically become citizens after five years.” – May 29, 2019.