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Monday, January 21, 2013

Facing the truth on Sabah's illegal immigrants


Lim Teck Ghee

COMMENT The main line of defence used by the former prime minister in justifying the distribution of identity cards to foreigners and their registration as voters in Sabah has now emerged. According to Dr Mahathir Mohamad, “One should also look back and remember that Tunku Abdul Rahman was worse than me, he gave one million to citizenships to people who are not qualified and not even tested”.

“Why is it when he does it, it is not wrong, and when I do it, it’s wrong?” he asked.

He has since asked for a royal commission of inquiry (RCI) to look into the granting of citizenship during the pre-merdeka period.

This suggestion appears to be borrowed from the pro-Umno author and blogger Syed Akbar Ali, who in a post critiquing the RCI on illegal immigrants in Sabah, had argued that it would not be out of place to have an RCI to investigate on why one million immigrants, who were mostly Chinese and Indians, were given citizenship in Malaya in the 1950s.

According to him, “Let’s not argue about the fairness. Let’s have an RCI first on the issue - how and why one million Chinese and Indians (including my mamak gang, of course) were given citizenship.”

Dr Mahathir’s response has drawn widespread derision since his remarks have appeared in the Internet media. This was not only a shallow attempt to divert attention away from his role in this unconstitutional operation by playing up to the chauvinistic feelings of the Malay audience. He also chose to malign a deceased prime minister in his attempt to get off the hook for masterminding the massive influx of illegal immigrants into Sabah.

There is no comparison between the widely-publicised citizenship deal for non-Malay residents who became citizens of the country based on the principle of jus soli and the surreptitious citizenship-gifting racket that Mahathir and his gang ran previously.

One was open, transparent, and agreed to by all the major political stakeholders in the country, including the rulers. The other was underhand, opaque, known to only a small group of conspirators and objectionable to the citizens of Sabah, and the country as a whole.

For anyone to suggest that this recent (and other similar) political gifting of citizenship is equivalent to that which was carefully negotiated to secure our independence, is to scale new heights of political expediency, if not idiocy.

Free movement of people

It is necessary amidst the scorn poured on Dr Mahathir to note that he is correct in pointing out that the in-flow of people from the southern Philippines into Sabah is not a recent phenomenon. The free movement of people in that region is indeed part of a long historical trend.

But this free movement was ended by the establishment of the two new nation states - Malaysia and the Philippines. As a key figure in protecting our national interest - a responsibility which he swore to uphold when he accepted the position of prime minister - Mahathir should be the first to recognise the difference between the unrestricted movement of people during the pre-colonial and pre-independence period, and the illegal influx that he authorised.

The RCI hearing may yet bring out new discouraging disclosures on the way the former prime minister abused his power to ensure a decisive electoral advantage for the Barisan Nasional, and how he sought to prolong his rule over the country by unfair means.

While we may not be able to do anything to revoke the illegal citizenship papers provided to non-Malaysians by the Mahathir regime, amidst all the gloom however, there is perhaps one positive development that we might console ourselves with. This is that we are indeed a nation of migrants with the latest large scale influx of Indonesians, Filipinos and other non-Malaysia migrants - illegal or otherwise - adding to the diversity of the country.

Nearly 80 years ago, R Emerson, in his classic work, Malaysia: A Study in Direct and Indirect Rule, noted the large size of alien communities as “an admirable index of the extent to which the Malayan way of life has been superseded by the new economy” (Pustaka Ilmu edition, University of Malaya Press, 1964, p. 195).

From his table derived from the Census Report 1931, we can see that “other Malaysians” comprised close to 10 percent of the population of the Unfederated Malay States (UMS) and the Federated Malay States (FMS).

The census at that time had defined “other Malaysians” as covering “immigrant peoples from the Archipelago, ethnographically akin, but politically alien to the Malays of the peninsula, and “aboriginals ethnographically far removed from the Malays, but more truly ‘people of the country’ than any other race - in fact, the only autochthonous population”.

It is an irrefutable fact that a large proportion of the country’s now politically and statistically defined indigenous Malay population migrated to Malaya at the same time, or perhaps even later than the immigrants from China and India.

The demographic record is that the Malay peninsula was thinly populated by Orang Asli and native Malays for a long period of time. Beginning from the late nineteenth century onwards, economic development of the country accelerated with the establishment of British colonial rule. This economic development was the catalyst for the large scale arrival of Chinese, Indians, and migrants from other parts of the Malay Archipelago - notably Sumatra and Java.

Whatever the findings of the RCI, we must realize that all these migrant streams - past and recent - have contributed to our country and deserve their place in the sun.

DR LIM TECK GHEE is director of the Centre for Policy Initiatives.

39 comments:

  1. It is too early to point fingers as the RCI's call for witnesses has only just begun

    NRD Deputy Director Nik Norashikin Nik Mansur said 66,682 people in Sabah received Malaysian citizenship between 1964 to October 2012.

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  2. It is too early to point fingers as the RCI's call for witnesses has only just begun

    She added that 38,000 were from Malaysia, 13,000 from China, 7,000 from Indonesia, while the rest were from the Philippines, Hong Kong and other countries. Those from Malaysia were born in Malaysia.

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  3. It is too early to point fingers as the RCI's call for witnesses has only just begun

    Those from China was a bit of a surprise. My British friend who had stayed in this country for almost three decades applied for permanent residence a number of times but to no avail. He passed away some five years ago and became permanent resident in Sabah, as dead as a doornail.

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  4. It is too early to point fingers as the RCI's call for witnesses has only just begun

    If what the opposition say about the government unlawful exercise to increase Muslim population is true, it seems absurd that the government also give to non-Muslim nationals from other countries.

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  5. It is too early to point fingers as the RCI's call for witnesses has only just begun

    Many countries give citizenship to immigrants who meet the requirement and abide by the law of the land. Knowing how to speak the local language is a must before citizenship is accorded to the person concerned.

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  6. It is too early to point fingers as the RCI's call for witnesses has only just begun

    Many of the immigrants who had stayed here a few decades can speak better Malay than many local Chinese and Indians that have been here a few generations. Even those from China who have been here just a few years speak better Bahasa than some Malaysian Chinese.

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  7. It is too early to point fingers as the RCI's call for witnesses has only just begun

    Malaysia also hosted the highest number of Chinese nationals compared to other nationals in its "Malaysia My Second Home" program and surprisingly some have pick up the language faster than some local Chinese.

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  8. It is too early to point fingers as the RCI's call for witnesses has only just begun

    I was amazed by a Chinese girl from China who was selling some Chinese goods at Wisma Merdeka a while back. She spoke fluent Bahasa Melayu, addressing her customers as abang, pakchik, kakak and so forth. I suppose one have to make an effort when it comes to survival.

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  9. It is too early to point fingers as the RCI's call for witnesses has only just begun

    As Mahathir said there is nothing wrong in giving immigrants citizenship as long as they meet the requirement. The U.S and many European countries give out citizenship every year to qualified immigrants.

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  10. It is too early to point fingers as the RCI's call for witnesses has only just begun

    It was also reported that some 128,000 dubious ICs was issued over a period, but after government investigation a total of 91,656 were found to be fake and had been cancelled. Actions had been taken against some NRD officers including invoking the ISA on them for selling ICs to illegal immigrants.

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  11. It is too early to point fingers as the RCI's call for witnesses has only just begun

    Obviously, these rouge officers, either were making use of government apparatus to do illicit business or taking instructions from their superiors to do the malfeasance to diddle Sabahans of their democratic rights.

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  12. It is too early to point fingers as the RCI's call for witnesses has only just begun

    Some good are coming out of the RCI and PM Najib should be lauded for his effort to find out the truth.

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  13. It is too early to point fingers as the RCI's call for witnesses has only just begun

    The RCI is getting exciting each day and a boon for crooks, liars, opportunists and honest-to-goodness witnesses sharing the limelight of the unconscionable blame game.

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  14. It is too early to point fingers as the RCI's call for witnesses has only just begun

    I hope those involved in falsifying and issuing of ICs and tempering with the electoral rolls would be severely punished, irrespective of their positions, be they ministers, NRD officers or EC officers.

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  15. It is too early to point fingers as the RCI's call for witnesses has only just begun

    The skewed and lopsided pro-opposition news portal and blogs as usual only reported the negatives outcome and censored anything positive of the government.

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  16. PENGAMATAN KETIKA BERJALAN, BAYANGAN MENGENAI RCI

    Ramai meminta supaya ditubuhkan RCI secepat mungkin bagi menangani masalah ini, yang sudah berpanjangan sekian tahun.

    Parti-parti politik termasuk dalam kalangan komponen Barisan Nasional sendiri turut senada. Bagi mereka, sudah tiba masanya suatu penyelesaian berkekalan dicari.

    Biarpun berlainan ideologi dan fahaman politik, rata-rata mahukan kerajaan mencari pendekatan terbaik untuk kebaikan jangka panjang.

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  17. PENGAMATAN KETIKA BERJALAN, BAYANGAN MENGENAI RCI


    "Saya membangkitkan lagi isu ini pada mesyuarat Kabinet terakhir (8 Feb) dan Kabinet kemudiannya telah membuat keputusan...Perdana Menteri akan menangani seterusnya," kata Dompok, tanpa mengulas lanjut.

    Sebelum itu, Menteri Sains, Teknologi dan Inovasi, Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili, juga memberikan bayangan yang sama bahawa Kabinet telah membincangkan perincian mengenai cadangan RCI itu.

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  18. PENGAMATAN KETIKA BERJALAN, BAYANGAN MENGENAI RCI


    Ongkili yang juga Timbalan Presiden Parti Bersatu Sabah turut menjelaskan bahawa semua pemimpin parti komponen BN Sabah mahu isu tersebut diselesaikan.

    "Kami mahu RCI yang bukan sekadar menghasilkan keputusan terbuka, tetapi lebih daripada itu dalam menangani isu pendatang tanpa izin ini. Bagaimana ini berlaku, siapa yang terlibat dan apakah tindakan ke atas mereka yang terlibat. Ini RCI yang tipikal...selalunya dengan keputusan terbuka," katanya.

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  19. Deputy Chief Minister-cum-PBS President Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan and Sabah Progressive Party President Datuk Yong Teck Lee preferred to take a different stand on the current Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on Illegal Immigrants saying any comments should be made only after it is over.

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  20. Pairin said this was to ensure the smooth-running of the proceedings under the terms stipulated by the government.

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  21. "According to normal practice under the law, the information data must come from witnesses, then we view what have been obtained and make a more intelligent evaluation than at present," he said.

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  22. "The RCI is talking about what had happened before from the 1980s up to 1990s and I think the hearing covers all the way up to the present situation.

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  23. "We still have two more weeks to go for the RCI hearing and a lot more to read about. Let the RCI finish first," Yong said, when also met at the commemoration ceremony for war heroes at the Petagas War Memorial site, Monday.

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  24. This was in stark contrast to the approach taken by fellow opposition State Reform Party (Sabah) whose Chairman Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan called for action to be taken while it was still ongoing.

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  25. "It was revealed in the RCI that identification documents were issued to the illegal immigrants, resulting in some controversial electoral results in the 1994 State election.

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  26. "All political leaders in Sabah should come together, in spite of their political differences, and discuss the future of Sabah and demand the review of the Malaysia Agreement 1963," he said.

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  27. He also urged all peninsula-based parties to withdraw from Sabah, maintaining that Sabah should be exclusively for Sabahans.

    "We cannot allow peninsula parties to run the State, only Sabah parties should although, both national and state parties could work together to manage the State," he said.

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  28. PBS Information Chief Datuk Johnny Mositun, said it was imperative to move forward despite the testimonies.

    "I think the revelation (from the RCI hearing) is already there.

    Whatever it is, we have to go forward," he said.

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  29. On asking the Federal Government to clean up the electoral roll, Mositun who is also the State Legislative Assembly Deputy Speaker, said it is too early to comment and it would be best to wait for the outcome.

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  30. isu PATI harus diselesaikan, jgn biar ia berlanjutan.

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  31. Kewibawaan pembangkang untuk menerajui Sabah dipersoalkan kerana sehingga kini mereka gagal mengemukakan senarai Kabinet bayangan yang dijanjikan, kata Setiausaha Barisan Nasional (BN) Sabah Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan.

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    Replies
    1. Beliau berkata pakatan pembangkang juga tidak mempamerkan semangat perpaduan dan kesefahaman yang mantap antara mereka.

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    2. Katanya sejak akhir-akhir ini, tindakan dan ucapan pakatan pembangkang menunjukkan Kabinet bayangan mereka menonjolkan bekas anggota Majlis Tertinggi UMNO, Datuk Seri Lajim Ukin sebagai ketua menteri.

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    3. “Baru-baru ini, beliau (Lajim) telah membuat beberapa ‘big statement’ di muka-muka dada akhbar dan komen yang memihak kepada Pakatan Rakyat walaupun beliau tidak menjadi ahli mana-mana parti pembangkang melainkan pengerusi sebuah movement (Pertubuhan Pakatan Perubahan Rakyat),” katanya pada sidang akhbar di Bangunan UMNO Sabah di sini, hari ini.

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    4. Sehubungan itu, beliau berkata rakyat harus bijak menilai prestasi dan keberkesanan Lajim yang pernah memegang beberapa jawatan penting semasa dalam kerajaan.

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    5. “Saya pasti dan percaya rakyat Sabah akan terkejut jika betul mereka teliti prestasi dan tindakan beliau (Lajim) semasa menjadi menteri atau timbalan menteri menerajui kementerian di bawah kuasanya ketika sebahagian dalam kerajaan,” katanya.

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    6. Abdul Rahman yang juga anggota Parlimen Kota Belud merayu rakyat khususnya Sabah agar memilih kerajaan BN berdasarkan rekod pencapaian dengan pelbagai program seperti Program Transformasi Kerajaan, Program Transformasi Ekonomi dan Bidang Keberhasilan Utama Negara.

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    7. Beliau berkata negara akan jatuh bankrap sekiranya pakatan pembangkang memegang tampuk pemerintahan berdasarkan belanjawan yang dibentangkan mereka.

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    8. Terdahulu, Abdul Rahman mempengerusi mesyuarat setiausaha BN Sabah yang turut dihadiri Setiausaha Agung Parti Bersatu Sabah Datuk Henrynus Amin dan Setiausaha Agung Pertubuhan Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun dan Murut Bersatu Datuk Wilfred Madius Tangau.

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