Recall all Sabah ICs, RCI told

The exercise to recall Malaysian identity cards (IC) can ensure the integrity of the identification document, United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation (UPKO) president Tan Sri Bernard Dompok told the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on illegal immigrants in Sabah, here today.

Based on a study conducted by UPKO, he said a competent authority could be appointed to verify the authenticity of the ICs.

"This body (competent authority) can be a special task force comprising officers or professionals from the private sector or even from the civil society movement.

"Transparency must be assured. We can replace the ICs periodically and therefore, there should be no misgivings on the part of anyone to surrender his or her IC for the purpose of verification and after which, (they will be)reissued with a new one beyond reproach," he told the five-member panel led by former chief judge of Sabah and Sarawak Tan Sri Steve Shim Lip Kiong.

Dompok said if all ICs in Sabah were recalled and replaced upon verification, the exercise would answer criticisms faced by the Election Commission on the contamination of the voters list.

"Those who have obtained citizenship on the sly and become voters can be struck off the (voters) list immediately," he said.

Dompok also proposed the government make amendments to existing laws or enact new laws on treason to ensure that Malaysians who gave or sold Malaysian documentations be held accountable and punished severely for the seriousness of their crimes.

East Sabah Security Command (ESSCOM) Director-General Datuk Mohammad Mentek told the inquiry that during his tenure as State Immigrations Director from 2010 to March this year, he admitted to coming across foreigners claiming to be Filipino refugees with forged IMM13 documents.

He said this was discovered during operations by the department, but denied any of the department personnel were involved in the issuance of the fake documents.

In his capacity as ESSCOM director-general, which he assumed on April 1 this year, Mohammad said the agency's role was to strengthen border control due to the fact that Sabah was close to two countries, Indonesia and the Philippines.

He also said that there were over 400 named and unnamed islands on the east coast that could be used for immigrants to enter the state and which could also be made hide-outs from the authorities.

Also on the panel are former Universiti Malaysia Sabah vice-chancellor Datuk Dr Kamaruzzaman Ampon, former Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Henry Chin Poy Wu, former Sabah state secretary Datuk KY Mustapha and former deputy chief minister Tan Sri Herman J Luping, who is also former state attorney-general.

The inquiry resumes on July 1-5.