KOTA KINABALU: Datuk Yong Teck Lee did not propose a border pass for Filipinos to enter Sabah easily when he was the chief minister of Sabah, said a Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) leader.
SAPP secretary general Datuk Richard Yong said the border pass was proposed by the Malaysia/Philippines Joint Border Committee but later rejected by the State Cabinet in 1997.
“It is also not true that during the chief ministership of Datuk Yong Teck Lee, newly born illegal immigrants’ children were given birth certificates,” said Richard.
“Birth certificates are issued for all births in any country, then and now. The certificates will show parents’ nationality. And for birth certificate of non citizen, it is stated in the birth certificate that the new born has no nationality,” he explained.
Richard clarified this when responding to the statement by Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) vice president Datuk Herbert Timbon Lagadan that Yong, who is the SAPP president, was beneficiary of illegal immigrant phantom voters.
“It is a lie. In fact Datuk Yong Teck Lee was the victim of the phantom voters,” he said in a statement yesterday.
Richard said PBS must stand up to their duty and obligation to resolve the Sabah problems, particularly that of the illegal immigrants (PTI).
“When it comes to the issue of illegal immigrants, PBS should stop making excuses and finger-pointing.
“Whenever this issue of illegal immigrants was brought up, PBS leaders would try to blame others for their own failure, repeatedly saying solutions are on the way,” he said.
“PBS has been repeating the rhetoric for years while having the post of Chief Ministers for nine years, post of Deputy Chief Ministers and Federal Ministers and cabinet ministers, yet they cannot provide a straight answer to the problem,” he added.
Richard said PBS must also explain why they had refused or stopped Dr Chong Eng Leong from bringing up the illegal immigrant issues when he was a PBS member.
On Thursday, Chong told the press that he left PBS after its leaders forbade him from being vocal on illegal immigrants and the Project IC issue for fear of offending Umno.