KOTA KINABALU: The findings of the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on the illegal immigration issue in Sabah will be made public after it is tabled in the Parliament which it begins its next sitting next week.
Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan yesterday said that the exact date of the tabling would depend on the Speaker.
Rahman Dahlan added the Cabinet had discussed the report which would be made public.
“The Cabinet has discussed about it, I understand that it will be presented to Parliament in this session,” he said at a forum here on Saturday.
The five-man panel of the RCI headed by Tan Sri Steve Shim had submitted the report to the King and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak in early January.
The setting up of the RCI was announced by the Prime Minister in August 2012.
The other commissioners were former Sabah Attorney-General Tan Sri Herman J. Luping, Universiti Malaysia Sabah former vice-chancellor Professor Datuk Dr Kamaruzaman Ampon, former Sabah state secretary Datuk K.Y. Mustafa and Malaysian Crime Prevention Foundation deputy chairman Datuk Henry Chin Poy Wu.
The inquiry began on September 21, 2012 and covered eight terms of reference, including investigating the number of foreigners who were issued Malaysian identity cards, whether the issuance was in accordance with the law, whether they had been registered in the Sabah electoral roll and the social implications of the foreigners.
It was given six months (subsequently extended until September 20) to complete the investigation and submit a full report, plus recommendations.
The RCI heard testimonies from 211 witnesses.
Meanwhile, Penampang member of parliament Darell Leiking welcomed the annoucement by Rahman Dahlan.
“It’s long overdue. I am thankful that Rahman Dahlan is equally concerned as a Sabahan,” said the PKR politician who had also attended the forum with Rahman Dahlan.
Politicians from across the divide had called for the report to be published, with many MPs, including those from West Malaysia, having submitted questions to the Parliament asking as to why it had not been made public.