Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak when announcing this after chairing the Sabah Barisan Nasional (BN) meeting here yesterday said former UMS Vice-Chancellor Datuk Kamaruzaman Ampon, former Sabah State Attorney-General Tan Sri Herman Luping, Malaysia Crime Prevention Foundation deputy chairman and former Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Henry Chin Poy Wu and former State Secretary Datuk KY Mustafa had all been appointed commissioners of the Royal Commission of Inquiry.
He added that Chief Secretary to the Domestic Trade, Cooperative and Consumerism Ministry Datuk Saripuddin Kassim is appointed as the Royal Commission of Inquiry secretary.
The BN chairman disclosed that the Royal Commission of Inquiry is given six months from the date of appointment to complete its work and the findings will be forwarded to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
“We are all aware of the illegal immigrant issue which has been raised by the leaders and people of Sabah as it has been haunting them all this while.
“Seeing that action needs to be taken to find a long-term solution to this problem and based on the demand as well as needs of the people which was brought to my attention through BN Sabah, the government has agreed to set up the Royal Commission of Inquiry on the presence of illegal immigrants in Sabah,” Najib said.
He added that the Commission would be set up under the Commission of Inquiry Act 1950.
Najib also announced the Terms of Reference for the Royal Commission of Inquiry among which would be to investigate the number of foreigners in Sabah who had been issued blue identity cards or Malaysian citizenship, and whether this had been done through legal means.
According to Najib, the RCI terms of reference would include whether illegal immigrants in Sabah had identity cards or citizenship and, if so, whether these documents or citizenship were given legally.
The Commission will investigate whether immigrants in Sabah who had been issued blue identity cards, temporary identification receipts (blue) or citizenship documents had been illegally registered as voters.
It would also look into whether the authorities had taken any action or carried out any improvements to standard operating procedures (SOP), measures and regulations to avoid any infringement of the law, Najib said, adding that the Commission would conduct a thorough investigation into the SOP, measures and regulations relating to the issuance of blue identity cards or citizenship to immigrants in Sabah by taking into account international standards and norms used in Malaysia and to recommend any amendments or changes to strengthen or improve the SOP, measures and regulations.
The Commission will also get to the bottom of Sabah’s extraordinary population boom according to categories such as Sabahans living in the state including those granted blue identity cards and citizenship through late birth registration, foreign workers (including their families), illegal immigrants (including their families) and refugees and their impact on the electoral roll.
The RCI will also investigate the social implications of the issuance of blue identity cards or citizenship to immigrants in the state on Sabahans and the number of foreigners in Sabah who have been given blue identity cards or citizenship by taking into account their stateless status.