Stop confusing rakyat, Warisan told

PAPAR: Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) secretary general Datuk Johnny Mositun said Parti Warisan Sabah should stop confusing people over the issue of illegal immigrants and the alleged issuance of MyKad to foreigners.

He said a responsible government should state the facts as they are and act upon them with one clear objective instead of merely issuing comments and political rhetoric for mileage.

“The general election is over. It is six months now and no concrete action has been taken to address these issues which Warisan exploited to the fullest in the 14th general election. All that is forthcoming from the state government is plenty of hot air, denials, promises and blame or accusations hurled at the previous government. What good does that do for Sabah?” asked Mositun, who is a former Deputy Speaker of the State Assembly.

He said it was shocking to learn about a PKR candidate contesting the Kimanis Division chairman’s post was arrested by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and to discover he was holding two MyKads.

“More confusing, a letter from the National Registration Department (NRD) was produced by those making the arrest, meaning that the NRD had knowledge about the man holding two MyKads. At least that’s how it looks. Both NRD and the Chief Minister’s Office are obliged to give a proper explanation to the rakyat and should not brush it off as a minor thing,” Mositun said when speaking to PBS Pantai Manis Bongawan and Kawang members here yesterday.

Mositun also took a swipe at Parti Warisan Sabah Supreme Council member Tommy Martin who had attacked PBS Information Chief Jahid Jahim over the latter’s recent comments on illegal immigrants and unqualified foreigners acquiring MyKads and other documents using dubious means.

“Instead of just explaining and giving details of what the government is doing about resolving these issues, Tommy just criticized Jahid and blamed, quite unfairly, Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan for not revealing the recommendations of the Working Committee on Illegal Immigrants,” he said.

Mositun added Tommy should know that Pairin only chaired a working committee, not the main national level committee which was headed by the then Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Zahid Hamidi.

“The working committee chaired by Pairin was not authorized to publicize its recommendations. That authority lies with the main national level committee. Tommy Martin’s contention that Pairin was supposed to reveal the details and he had said he would do so is also not true. The report is an official, confidential document with the federal government. It is for the federal government to reveal its contents if it so wishes, and to implement its recommendations. It is out of Tan Sri Pairin’s hands,” Mositun said.

As for Tommy’s tirade against Jahid, Mositun said Jahid had long years of experience as an administrator and many years as an assistant state minister.

“No need for this newly ‘elevated’ politician to suggest that Datuk Jahid is not aware of who the issuing authority is for MyKad and other identification documents and birth certificates. Jahid was only questioning the state government’s lack of transparency and sincerity regarding this, especially in the wake of the recent fiasco over issuance of IMM13 documents that has still not been fully explained by the Immigration Department or the Chief Minister’s Department,” Mositun said.