KOTA KINABALU: Former Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal has defended his efforts to help undocumented Sabahans, particularly those from rural districts, while clarifying that he never approved identification or citizenship documents.
Shafie explained that his support letters were intended to assist locals from remote areas such as Tongod, Pensiangan, Keningau, Nabawan and Kudat in navigating bureaucratic hurdles, rather than interfering with the authority of government agencies.
"Do not just look at the letter, but study the content. As a human being and a leader, when people come to me for help, I cannot just turn them away.
"These are people from Tongod, Nabawan, Keningau, Kudat, Pensiangan. How would I know if they are genuine Sabahans or not? That is for the authorities to determine."
He shared examples of families with five children where only four had proper documentation.
"What about the fifth child? Should I turn them away? These are Sabahans. They deserve to be heard," said Shafie, who is also the Parti Warisan president.
Shafie noted that during his tenure, his administration collaborated with former Chief Justice Tun Richard Malanjum to organise mobile outreach programmes aimed at helping undocumented locals register with the relevant departments.
"It is not about giving approval. That is not within my power. The authorities responsible for approvals are the National Registration Department (NRD) and the Home Ministry," he stressed.
He added that many who approached his office were simply desperate.
"Sometimes they say they cannot even get someone to listen. As leaders, we try to help, but we are not perfect. Our role is to support, not to decide," he said upon arriving at Kota Kinabalu International Airport on Wednesday (April 9).
He reiterated that any letters issued under his administration were not instructions for approval, but merely support letters forwarding cases for the relevant departments to assess.
"These are real problems faced by many Sabahans. If we continue to politicise them, the people will continue to suffer."
Meanwhile, Warisan has issued letters of demand to three individuals accused of defaming Shafie over claims he approved citizenship and identification documents for illegal immigrants (PTI) during his tenure as chief minister.
Warisan Supreme Council member Chen Ket Chuin said the letters, also serving as cease-and-desist notices, were delivered on April 7 and 8.
The recipients have seven days to retract their statements and issue a public apology or face legal action.
"One of them is a Chinese man from Tawau," Chen said in a statement on Tuesday, calling the allegations false, malicious and politically motivated.
He, however, did not mention who the other two were.
"Let me be clear, Warisan has never issued any documents to PTI, nor do we support such actions," he stressed, adding that the letters circulating online do not refer to PTI applicants.
