Wanita Upko supports call for recall, re-issuance of ICs

KOTA KINABALU: Wanita Upko chief Datin Dr Juliana Janni supported the party president’s stance on the issue of illegal immigrants in Sabah.

She said in a statement issued yesterday that Wanita Upko was calling for the withdrawal of the existing identity cards and for the re-issuance of new identity cards to genuine Sabahans.

“Based on Upko’s independent studies, 80 percent of the interviewees paid to acquire their IC and 20 percent were ‘given citizenship’. We believe the citizens of Sabah fully support the proposal of the re-issuance of new ICs as the ultimate solution for this perennial issue,” she said.

Juliana added that the matter had been brought to the attention of the Prime Minister when the Upko leaders went for a courtesy call on him.

“When we cooperate with Warisan, DAP and PKR to form the government, we truly believe that the solgan ‘Ubah Sabah’ to reform Sabah. Towards this end, we are yet to see a fair and equitable distribution and representation of all races,” she said.

She also stressed that they were eager to see more women being appointed as there were enough women who were as capable as men.

Similarly, she also said Wanita Upko’s main resolution in the recent triennial general meeting was education.

“We want to support the call to reintroduce English as the medium of instruction in schools and the need to set up an international university in the English medium.”

“If the federal government is not ready, the Sabah government could perhaps start first,” she said.

By doing so, she said it would boost education tourism and elevate the standard of education.

Similarly, Wanita Upko also supports its president’s call for incentives for Bible Knowledge teachers and to make the Bible Knowledge subject be part of the schools’ main curriculum.

Juliana also said Wanita Upko did not want the federal government to form several committees with regards to Malaysia Agreement 1963.

“Instead we want the government to implement what is enshrined in the Malaysia Constitution as agreed in MA63. Whatever is not included in the MA63 should be referred to article 8 of MA63,” she said.

She also said they also supported their president’s call for a fair representation of top leaders at parliament as agreed upon in MA63 and urged for more seats for Sabah in parliament.