GE15: Project IC issue in Sabah not taken seriously by political parties, says NGO

KOTA KINABALU: Parliamentary amnesty is needed to resolve Sabah’s perennial Project IC dilemma, says a non-governmental organisation.

Borneo's Plight in Malaysia Foundation (BoPiMaFo) president Daniel John Jambun said that he has not seen any political party contesting in GE15 making a stand regarding this issue and providing solutions.

According to the report by the Royal Commission of Inquiry into illegal immigrants, Project IC was a controversial programme which saw thousands of immigrants in Sabah get Malaysian citizenship via dubious means in the 1980s and 1990s when Tun Mahathir Mohamad was prime minister.

Jambun said issues relating to dubious citizens and illegal immigrants were dubbed the “mother” of all problems in Sabah.

“To date, there isn't any party contesting in GE15 in Sabah talking seriously on issues concerning illegal immigrants in possession of ICs gained through Project IC who are registered in the electoral rolls and allowed to vote,” he said.

He said political will is needed from both sides of the divide in finding the right solutions to this problem, based on respecting and upholding the rule of law.

Jambun said it was time all Sabahan voters took this opportunity to demand for anyone to be voted into Parliament to solve the problem via parliamentary amnesty.

He said a parliamentary amnesty is pardon for being party to illegalities, adding that in 1965, Parliament declared amnesty in Peninsular Malaysia where those who obtained citizenship by fraud had to surrender them.

“They were fined RM300 and given permanent residence. They were not blacklisted from re-applying for citizenship when they qualified,” said Jambun.

He called on voters to choose leaders who can solve problems and to reject those who were not sincere in helping the people.