Tun M admits giving citizenships to Filipinos

Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today admitted that during his tenure, he had given citizenship to Filipino refugees in Sabah who were able to meet all the requirements.

"There are many (Filipino refugees) in Sabah and they have been there for not one or two days, but for 20 or 30 years. They speak Malay language and they deserve to be recognised as Malaysian citizens," he said.

Speaking to reporters after the discourse titled "From the Mind of Tun Dr Mahahir Mohamad: The Future of the Malays and Islam after GE13" here today, the former premier said problems surfaced when certain quarters started to feel uncomfortable when the foreigners were given Malaysian citizenship.

"They deserve the citizenship and they have met the requirements, so we gave them. I admit that during my tenure I gave citizenships. These people had been travelling back and forth between southern Philippine and Sabah because they refuse to abide by the border set by the colonial power.

"The same goes to those who crossed the sea from Sumatera to Peninsular Malaysia," he said.

Dr Mahathir was responding to the news portal report quoting Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) deputy president Mohamed Azmin Ali as saying that the Royal Commission of Inquiry to investigate the problems of illegal immigrants in Sabah was told that Dr Mahathir was a 'traitor' to the country.

When asked whether he was willing to give his statement to the RCI, Dr Mahathir said: "If they ask me I would go."