Sabah UMNO MP rejects RCI on Project IC

Despite Parliament endorsing the recommendation for a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) into the Sabah Project IC scandal, a Sabah Umno MP says this is not the way to solve the problem of foreigners allegedly granted citizenship and the right to vote in the state.

Instead, the long-simmering issue should be addressed by government ministries, Kinabatangan MP Bung Mokhtar Radin said.

"A royal commission is not one of the ways to solve the problem, or accepted by all quarters. I believe this Sabah issue can be addressed through ministries, as long as the ministry officials have a high commitment...

"Because it involves various quarters and ministries that also contributed to this problem," Bung Mokhtar (right in picture) told reporters on the sidelines of the Umno annual general assembly at the Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur today.

"It should be handled with wisdom by the ministries," he added.

Asked whether he was satisfied with the performance of the ministries in solving the problem after being ordered to look into the issue a few years ago, Bung Mokhtar said: "The question is not whether satisfied or not.

"They need to continue the work and report to Parliament on what has been done by them, because we don't want anyone to be abused as the issue in Sabah is slightly complicated."

Bung Mokhtar further claimed that many genuine Sabahans were arrested and detained because they had no official identification documents.

"This issue should be solved first. Give them identity cards, then I believe such problems will not happen again," he added.

The RCI on the Project IC is one of 10 recommendations proposed by the parliamentary select committee on electoral reform, after a series of consultations with various stakeholders.

All the recommendations have been passed by the Parliament and various government agencies will be asked to implement them.

By Kuek Ser Kuang Keng