Ex-MP demands chief judge apologise for allegedly making racist statements

0

Richard Malanjum

KOTA KINABALU: Former Libaran member of parliament Datuk Akbar Khan Abdulrahman has demanded that the Chief Justice of Sabah and Sarawak Tan Sri Richard Malanjum apologise for allegedly making racist statements against Pakistanis in the state.

Akbar, who is of Pakistani origin, said in a statement he was disgusted and shocked by Malanjum’s remarks that each and every Pakistani in Sabah should have their documents examined to determine whether they had entered the state legally.

“As a loyal Malaysian citizen of Pakistani origin, who was born and bred in Sabah, I take offence of the sweeping racist statement uttered by the Chief Justice of Sabah and Sarawak.

“As a former member of the Malaysian Parliament and a fellow Sabahan, whose forefathers had sacrificed their life and limb for the security and safety of North Borneo (Sabah before the formation of Malaysia), I condemn Richard Malanjums racist rants in the strongest possible terms,” he said.

Malanjum was reported to have said the Immigration and National Registration Departments should determine if the documents held by every Pakistani in the state were in order.

“So many of them (Pakistanis) in the state … we do not know whether they are holding genuine documents or otherwise. I am keen to cut the perception that it is easy for foreigners to enter and stay in the state with improper documents,” he was quoted as saying on Wednesday during the revision application by the prosecution against the sentence imposed on five Pakistanis for using visas and social visit passes obtained with false particulars.

Malanjum also reportedly told the five Pakistanis: “Don’t come to Sabah if you do not have valid documents… tell your fellows or write a letter about this… tell them that Sabah is ‘neraka’ (hell).”

In objecting to Malanjum’s remarks, including labelling Sabah as hell, Akbar described the statement as “uncouth” and “not-so-clever”.

He said while enforcement and action against illegal immigrants and those who falsified government documents were welcome, the people could not condone racism and xenophobia.

“We cannot tolerate such negative culture, especially when a person holding the position of Chief Justice of Sabah and Sarawak spreads such a virus.

“We must also abhor the not-so-clever words of a Chief Justice who, in his rant against foreigners who stand accused of immigration offences before him, describes the state of Sabah as ‘hell’.

In condemning Malanjums racists, xenophobic rant against Sabahans of Pakistani origin and his description of Sabah as neraka (hell) in an open court, I demand he apologises to the people of Sabah, especially those of Pakistani origin.

Akbar also challenged Malanjum to tender his resignation as the Chief Justice of Sabah and Sarawak and save the judiciary from further contempt and ridicule, if he refused to apologise.

Meanwhile, Angkatan Perubahan Sabah (APS) president Datuk Seri Panglima Wilfred Bumburing said the attack by Akbar on Malanjum is uncalled for.

Bumburing was of the opinion that Akbars action represents an attack on the judiciary in carrying out their judicial and constitutional duty.

According to the Tamparuli assemblyman, Malanjums remark reflects the long standing sentiment of the genuine people of Sabah.

For so long since Berjaya government, the state of Sabah had been flooded with people from Pakistan. It had been a common sight in the rural areas where these people are going around selling textiles, initially on their motorcycles, and then later driving cars, he said.

“As per Datuk Akbar Khan’s remarks citing the Chief Judge as being racist, I would say that Datuk Akbar should be smart enough to understand that what Malanjum meant is not directed to any race, including those of Pakistani decent.

He clearly referred only to the Pakistani nationals who can come to Sabah so easily and on their growing numbers in recent years. It is not about race but foreigners who flooded the state. The Royal commission of Inquiry shows the culmination of Sabahans’ utter disgust on the illegal immigrants in Sabah, he stressed.

According to Bumburing, illegal immigrants in Sabah are made up of many nationalities who include Filipinos, Indonesians, Indians, Pakistanis, Chinese and other nationalities.

Of course at the time of independence of Sabah on the 31st August 1963, the population of Sabah are multiracial which included those of non-Sabahan origin like Chinese, Europeans, Australians, Indonesians, Filipinos, Indians, Pakistanis, Malays from Malaya and many others.

In the independence agreement those who reside in Sabah prior to the independence date have the right to choose to be citizens of the newly born nation state of Sabah. Subsequently the children of these people are Sabahan in all their rights and nobody can question them, he said.

In as far as I am concerned, though they are not native to Sabah, I consider them orang asal’ Sabah. I reject the call of the Umno leaders in Malaya which brand them as pendatang. They are different from the illegal immigrants who flooded Sabah in recent years.

Former SAPP deputy president Datuk Eric Majimbun said that Sabahans should defend the state and country against illegal immigrants.

Illegal immigrants, especially those who obtained Malaysian ICs through dubious means, should be punished and the culprits who helped them should be condemned. We should defend our country against illegal immigrants.

We strongly support Malanjums remark that these illegals might have gotten assistance from those who had performed an ‘act of evil’,” he said.