PENAMPANG: Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) has called for a fresh probe to be conducted on resurfacing allegations that illegal immigrants are being issued citizenship documents again.
Following allegations that have gone viral on social media, PBS is calling for more comprehensive action despite Sabah police probing the matter.
Calling for the matter to be resolved once and for all, PBS President Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili said it was time to find a permanent solution to the long-standing problem.
He said it was time another Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI II), specifically on matters related to the issuance of citizenship in Sabah, was established.
"Evidence provided during the first RCI, such as the issuance of documents and the existence of 'Projek IC', an infamous syndicate back in the 80s, and many recommendations were given by the then commission, but to date, nothing concrete has come out of it.
"We (PBS) hope that RCI II will be able to make things right," he said after chairing the PBS Supreme Council meeting here on Wednesday night (May 29).
Ongkili stressed that the proposed RCI II was in response to public complaints and evidence published in the media on the matter of late.
He said apart from identification documents, RCI II must also investigate the issuance of birth certificates and the granting of permanent residents (PR) status to non-Malaysians.
Ongkili said those granted the PR status will automatically be a Malaysian citizen after five years.
"This includes the implications from the alleged project by Parti Warisan, which, of course, they denied. We believe the police are probing these allegations as well.
"We are also calling for an RCI on citizenship issue with new pieces of evidence coming up. Although these were raised during the previous RCI sitting but to date, no proper solution was given. We want a proper and transparent investigation by the police on these matters," he said.
Also circulating on social media platforms are photos of the forms with the Warisan logo on them and old versions of the National Registration Department (NRD) forms as well as pictures of the alleged applicants.
Stressing that the matter cannot be taken lightly, Ongkili said through RCI II, they hope that it would be able to address the root of the problem.
Sabah police commissioner Datuk Omar Mammah had said a probe is underway and that there have been 12 reports lodged as of Monday.
In denying the allegations, Warisan secretary general Loretto Padua said it was not possible for the party to have been involved in such matters which were related to a government procedural process.
He had said Warisan had in fact condemned previous incidents where citizenship was granted to illegal immigrants in Sabah and that as citizens party members are duty bound to protect the sovereignty of the state.
He said Sabah has suffered greatly under Project IC decades ago under the previous Barisan Nasional government.