Sabah RCI report delayed to March

The report of the royal commission of inquiry (RCI) on immigrants in Sabah which should have been submitted in December last year has been delayed.

Last month it was granted a three-month extension, until March 24 this year, to come out with the report.

This extension was not widely publicised and confined to the local Sabah media as unlike previous extensions, no statement was issued.

Upko president Bernard Dompok (centre in photo)  was quoted as saying in the Borneo Post that it was better for the commission to receive an extension so that it can produce a "good job".

“The commission is analysing the findings and this will take time. We will have to wait for the progress.

“We have gone this far so, let us be patient. The commission will present their findings to the cabinet," he was quoted as saying.

The RCI was officially formed on Sept 21, 2012 with a six-month term and was tasked to investigate the abnormal explosion in Sabah's population growth.

On treadmill of extensions?

In March 2013, the RCI announced that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong had consented to a six-month extension to the tenure of the commission, until Sept 21, 2013.

Another extension was announced in September 2013, where the commission was allowed three months until December 2013 to complete its task.

In that period, the RCI heard about purported clandestine operations involving government leaders in which foreigners were illegally granted citizenship in exchange for votes that has modified Sabah's demography.

A total of 211 witnesses testified before the RCI, including prominent figures such as former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad (left), former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim and former Sabah chief minister Harris Salleh.

Investigators also visited 32 refugee settlements, 117 of 182 squatter areas and 65 landing grounds from the sea into Sabah during the almost year-long investigation.

The RCI had initially announced that it aimed to produce its report by December last year but now it is expected to be out only in the first quarter of this year.

It remains unclear if the report will be made public but Sabah-based BN component parties, including Upko, have lobbied for it to be available to all.

The commission, led by former Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Steve Shim Lip Kiong, comprised Kamaruzaman Ampon, Henry Chin Poy Wu, Kee Mustafa and Herman Luping.