Joniston’s reply proves PBS misled Sabahans – Jo-Anna
KOTA KINABALU: Kiulu assemblyman Datuk Joniston Bangkuai and Parti Bersatu Sabah’s stand on IMM13 proves PBS have been misleading Sabahans all these while, said Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan) Deputy Women Movement chief Jo-Anna Sue Henley Rampas.
“Do Sabahans remember how Joniston and PBS have in the past been calling for the Warisan-led Sabah state Government to deport illegal immigrants? Today after being in power, Joniston and PBS no longer talks about deportation. Instead they agree to the Federal Government’s proposal to issue IMM13 to foreigners.
“This shows PBS have been misleading Sabahans all these while. This proves the power to issue documentation and deport illegal immigrants have always been in the hands of the Federal Government, but PBS have been misleading Sabahans all these while to think that it is the power of the Sabah state government,” she said.
Jo-Anna who is also political secretary to the Chief Minister of Sabah reminded Joniston of PBS’s past accusals.
PBS and their allies like PBRS and STAR have forgotten how they used to accuse and play the perception that the Warisan Sabah Government was actively issuing documentation to illegal immigrants at Wisma Dang Bandang. Have Sabahans forgotten that?” she asked.
“But we Warisan and the Sabah Government never did as accused because such powers have always been at the hands of the Federal Government. And today Joniston and PBS’s agreement to Putrajaya’s IMM13 proposal is proof that such powers do indeed lie in the hands of the Federal Government,” said Jo-Anna.
She added that the Warisan Sabah Government have always been consistent with regards to the the issue of illegal immigrants.
“Warisan have always maintained that we want to take such powers back from Putrajaya. We want to have power and access to data on illegal immigrants so that we Sabahans can solve this issue instead of depending on Putrajaya who have failed us all these decades.
“Do you know that Sabah all these decades have no access to data on illegal immigrants? We don’t know how many are they, we don’t know where they are, we don’t how they move about.
That is why even when the Sabah Temporary Pass (PSS) was announced by the then Home Minister who is the Prime Minister today, we agree to the concept as the PH Federal Government has agreed to return the power to control this operation back to Sabah Immigration, but subject to more discussion and meeting to sort out technicality to ensure Sabahans will no longer be short changed. We agreed because PH would give the Sabah Government the access to power and data to solve the PTI problems,” she stressed.
“We want to have that access so that we Sabahans in Sabah can solve this PTI issue ourselves. We do not want to rely on outsiders anymore. The Federal Government has failed Sabahans for four five decades, yet today Joniston and PBS say they give Putrajaya full support and trust to issue IMM13 like in the 1970s and 80s? Is this a joke? We are going back to where we started!” she pointed out.
Jo-Anna quipped, “Has PBS failed to recall the root cause of its downfall?
“We have not forgotten how the mighty PBS Sabah Government was in the past overthrown by PTI votes. We have not forgotten how the issuance of IMM13 was the beginning of the influx of illegal immigrants that resulted in PBS’s downfall.” “Today Sabahans are bearing the brunt of the PTI issue.
The same old recycled faces who allowed the PTIs to enter 34 years ago are telling us today, the beginning of PTI issue is the best solution.”
Referring to Joniston’s statement saying the NRP will come up every time a squatter fire occurs, Jo-Anna was of the opinion that as a credible leader Joniston should not have made a baseless speculation.
“What evidence does Joniston have as a basis for his argument on this fire?” she asked, adding that the issue of fire not only happens at the squatters area but also in other KDMR villages in Sabah.
As the chief of PBS Information, the Kiulu assemblyman should wonder why PBS is so slow and doesn’t even appear to help the fire victims, she said.
Perhaps the PBS information chief should recall who first visited the fire victims of 32 homes and 56 families in Kg Batung, Penangah, Dusun village in Tongod district? Not just the Tongod area but the KDMR village fire elsewhere throughout Sabah, she said.
Now PBS is in the government in Putrajaya, hence please direct the NRP for evidence otherwise Joniston is creating coffee shop stories to get his political support.
Jo-Anna concluded with a challenge to PBS leaders, “PBS, for once, please call a spade a spade and do what is right for the Sabahans so that we can solve this home problem ourselves.”