A file picture of Henrynus Amin. - NORMIMIE DIUN/The Star (picture goes with story slug kkmviha)
KOTA KINABALU: Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) has been urged to call for an immediate suspension and review of the state's electoral roll, which saw a significant hike in the number of new voters.
Parti Kerjasama Anak Negeri (Anak Negeri) president Datuk Henrynus Amin said while GRS was already on the right track by calling for the Election Commission (EC) to explain the apparent anomaly in the electoral roll, it should be followed up with an investigation and satisfactory explanation by the EC.
"Anak Negeri welcomes the call by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor for EC to explain the 54% increase of new voters in the 2022 Sabah electoral roll, which I see as a total shock, abnormal and highly suspicious.
"We expect the GRS government to take a strong stand on the matter and call for an immediate review and suspension of the Sabah electoral roll pending an investigation and satisfactory explanation by EC," he said in a statement.
Henrynus stressed that Anak Negeri was confident of Hajiji's stand and commitment on the matter, as he was the senior Sabah Umno leader in 2012 who supported the establishment of the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on illegal immigrants and fraudulent identity cards (ICs) during a meeting chaired by Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan, then chairman of the Sabah Barisan Nasional committee on citizenship.
"I was there during the Sabah Barisan meeting then as PBS secretary-general, watching the tectonic shift of Umno's stand in support of the formation of the RCI on illegal immigrants and fraudulent ICs.
"I believed Hajiji's strong and open support (then) might have emboldened other Barisan component political parties during the Sabah Barisan meeting to openly support the proposal which paved the way for then Sabah CM Datuk Seri Musa Aman who was also then Sabah Umno chairman, and later then prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, to implement the formation of the RCI," he remarked.
Henrynus added that while the outcome of the RCI might have provided sufficient proof of issuance of ICs using fraudulent citizenship documents, the then Federal Government failed to act on the said RCI report.
However, the recently unveiled Sabah electoral roll which saw an unusual spike in new voters, including 72% increase particularly in Sepanggar constituency, may provide the justification for GRS to demand for an immediate suspension of the electoral roll and verification of all ICs used in the voters' registration.
"All ICs (MyKad) used in the registration of new voters between 2018 and 2022, should be thoroughly investigated, scrutinised and verified to ensure they are genuine and legally obtained," he added.
