Project IC: Ex-senator lodges police report

FMT

Author of 'Lest We Forget' , Chong Eng Leong moves to remedy gross disservice to bona fide Sabahans

KOTA KINABALU: Activist and author Dr Chong Eng Leong has lodged a police report on the thousands of foreigners in Sabah who have suddenly become Malaysian citizens.

The former senator, a consultant surgeon, has taken it upon himself to correct what he sees as a gross disservice to the people of Sabah and a betrayal of the state.


Chong, who is also a member of PKR, said that based on his research there are at least 600,000 foreigners who had received ICs.

This included the new Sultan of Sulu, Mohd Akjan Datu Ali Muhammad, who was arrested under ISA for his involvement with issuing Malaysian ICs in 1996.

“I hope this time around when a person by the name of Akjan, a car-wash boy born in the Philippines, has a Malaysian IC stating he was born in Sabah, the police will listen.

“It’s for the sake of Sabah’s security and sovereignty within Malaysia,” he said in a statement issued to reporters here yesterday. Chong made the report at the Kota Kinabalu district police headquarters yesterday.

He also told the police that when Umno set up an office in Sabah in 1991, a Sabah Umno Taskforce was formed to seek out foreigners, issue them with Malaysian ICs, and register them as Umno members and voters.

He named Chief Minister Musa Aman as the director of the taskforce and deputy chief minister Yahya Hussin as the deputy director.

Without fear or favour

Chong, in his book ‘Lest We Forget’ (Security and Sovereignty of Sabah), said that the state is under threat as foreigners have outnumbered the population of bona fide citizens since 1970.

His book also details the inner workings of the Umno Taskforce and a controversial citizenship scheme named ‘Project IC’ which was exposed by ISA detainee Jabar Khan.

Chong also mentioned three other books written by MD Mutalib (IC PalsuMerampas Hak Anak Sabah, IC Projek – Agenda Tersembunyi Mahathir? and 007 – Lelaki Malaysia Terakhir?) that spoke of a ‘Project IC’ in Sabah.

The former senator hoped police would be able to investigate the matter without fear or favour get ton the bottom of the issue.

In response to Home Minister Hishammuddin Tun Hussein’s statement that a Royal of Commisson of Inquiry would not help to solve the immigration problem in the state, Chong said that a solution needed to be found fast.

“If authorities deny the existence of Project IC, how are we to arrive at a solution? Please convince the Home Minister that there is such thing as Project IC so that a solution could be found, and found fast, as time is running out,” he said.