Bumburing becomes second Sabah politician to suggest recall of old IC for new ones

KOTA KINABALU, June 19 – Tamparuli assemblyman Datuk Seri Wilfred Mojilip Bumburing became the second politician to suggest to the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on illegal immigrants in Sabah that identity cards (IC) be recalled and reissued.

“After the ICs are taken back (by National Registration Department), people need to re-apply for an IC by using their birth certificates which can prove whether or not they are Sabah natives,” he said, today.

Yesterday, Tuaran member of Parliament Datuk Wilfred Madius Tangau told the inquiry that the approach could help identify those who were genuine Malaysian citizens.

When asked by counsel Datuk John Sikayun, who is holding a watching brief for the Sabah Law Association, if the suggestion would result in certain consequences such as social implications and amendments to existing laws, Bumburing said it was possible, but there was never a single approach to effectively deal with the increased presence of illegal immigrants in the state.

When asked by conducting officer Manoj Kurup why there were illegal issuance of ICs in Sabah, Bumburing believed it was to change the demographic pattern of voters.

“If we ask the people to re-apply for an IC, we will be able to determine when it (illegal issuance of ICs) started,” he said.

Secretary of the Sabah Suluk Solidarity Council Mohd Zaki Harry Susanto told the inquiry he had heard rumours that Api-Api assemblywoman Christina Liew was actually an Indonesian Chinese known as Christina Hadi Kusumo.

However, RCI panel member Datuk Henry Chin Poy Wu said that during his posting as the Tawau district police chief, he knew Liew’s parents who came from Hong Kong to Tawau where the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Kota Kinabalu chief was born.

The inquiry is led by former chief judge of Sabah and Sarawak Tan Sri Steve Shim Lip Kiong.

Apart from Chin, who is former Kuala Lumpur police chief, other members of the five-men panel are former University Malaysia Sabah vice chancellor Datuk Dr Kamaruzzaman Ampon, former Sabah state secretary Datuk KY Mustapha and former deputy chief minister Tan Sri Herman J Luping, who is also former state attorney-general.

The inquiry resumes tomorrow. – Bernama