Emulate Dompok’s resolve in fighting for Sabah’s rights call

KOTA KINABALU: Former Upko Youth chief Arthur Sen expressed hope that the party will emulate party founder Tan Sri Bernard Dompok’s resolve in fighting for Sabah’s rights, especially in the matter of Malaysian identity cards being issued to non-deserving individuals.

Sen, who resigned from Upko last month, said Dompok had once threatened to quit as a federal minister if the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) into what is known as ‘Projek IC’ in Sabah was not implemented.

Projek IC is the name used to describe the alleged systematic granting of citizenship to immigrants, whether legally or not, through the provision of ICs or MyKads.

According to Sen, the call for the RCI started in 2012 after Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, who was Home Minister at the time, asked former Upko deputy president Datuk Seri Wilfred M Bumburing to prove the existence of Projek IC in Sabah.

“Bumburing had prepared a report for Hishammuddin but no concrete solution was given, prompting Bumburing to leave Upko. At the same time, Dompok who was Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister had spoken out on the RCI proposal to investigate illegal immigrants and citizenship matters in Sabah.

“The basis (of Dompok’s threat to resign) was because he represented the decision of Upko members. He would have been seen as irrelevant in the federal Cabinet if the RCI was not approved,” said Sen, adding that not long after that the RCI was formed.

Dompok, according to him, attended the RCI hearing and presented his arguments based on the investigations carried out by a consultant engaged by Upko.

“A comprehensive study comprising 26 volumes recording the findings of the consultant was produced and submitted to the commission. That was when the suggestion began to recall all ICs issued in Sabah and be reissued. Based on the report, it was alleged that syndicates were involved in the rampant sale of fake documentation,” he said.

Sen said Dompok had shown exemplary resolve in the matter as he had been willing to quit his position as a federal minister if the RCI was not carried out.

He added that Upko members trusted Dompok to solve the issue of illegal immigrants, particularly those who obtained ICs through backdoor methods adding: “hopefully Upko acting president Wilfred Madius Tangau has a similar determination in calling for the Sabah IC proposal.”

He also referred to de facto law minister Liew Vui Keong who had said it would be complicated to implement the Sabah IC as other states would be encouraged to ask for similar documents as well.

“To me, this means the Sabah IC can’t be implemented,” opined Sen.