KOTA KINABALU: A Filipino man yesterday admitted that he had to lie about his place of birth in order to obtain a Malaysian identity card (IC).
Shukur Abdullah, 53, told the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on the illegal immigrant problem in Sabah that he felt he had to do that by stating his place of birth as Kampung Karakit, Pulau Banggi although his actual birth place was Cagayan in the Philippines, as he wanted to make Malaysia his permanent place of residence.
“Our village (in Cagayan) was not peaceful. I came to Malaysia to find peace and want to stay here (Sabah) forever,” he said.
According to him, he had entered Sabah in 1976 through Kudat where his aunt stayed.
However, he said, he applied for the IC on his own effort through the National Registration Department’s special mobile unit.
“As I did not have a birth certificate, I used a statutory declaration which was endorsed by the village head in applying for the IC,” he revealed.
Shukur also told the RCI that his life was comfortable after obtaining the IC as he could apply for a driving licence and a Malaysian passport, besides voting in each general election.
The RCI is led by former chief judge of Sabah and Sarawak Tan Sri Steve Shim Lip Kiong.
The other members are former Universiti Malaysia Sabah vice-chancellor Datuk Dr Kamaruzzaman Ampon, former Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Henry Chin Poy Wu, 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 will continue today. — Bernama