KOTA KINABALU: A Parti Bersatu Sabah leader says he supports an Opposition party's proposal to create a fast-track mechanism for late MyKad applications from people living in rural areas.
Datuk William Majimbon (pic), a PBS supreme council member, said he welcomed Parti Warisan's Kota Belud MP Isnaraissah Munirah Majilis' proposal for mobile registration trucks for National Registration Department (NRD) outreach programmes in Sabah's rural areas.
Majimbon, however, said this should only be used to aid undocumented children of Malaysians.
"We must distinguish between 'late MyKad applicants' or 'undocumented children of Malaysian parents' and 'undocumented illegal immigrants'.
"Unfortunately, Warisan has failed to make this clear," he said in a statement on Saturday (Nov 18).
Isnaraissah had on Nov 7 proposed the creation of a fast-track lane mechanism involving the Native Court as a comprehensive solution for late MyKad applications of Sabahans in rural areas.
Majimbon said the law had to be amended to provide the Native Court jurisdiction in the MyKad application verification process.
"This includes delegation of powers of the Native Court to each village chief in Sabah, " he said, adding that village chiefs are the best-placed authority to verify the origin and residency of applicants in rural areas.
Another concern, he said, were isolated areas in Sabah where squatter areas with illegal immigrants are administratively recognised as villages.
Majimbon said there should be an additional mechanism for a check-and-balance to ensure it is not abused by irresponsible quarters.
