KOTA KINABALU: Upko has lauded the pro-active action by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to trace and nab those involved in a syndicate offering MyKads to illegal immigrants through its aptly named Ops Easy Cards.
“It is also commendable that the MACC has identified the modus operandi of this syndicate, said Upko secretary general Datuk Donald Peter Mojuntin.
He however said, “It was very worrying that it was not known how many MyKads or Malaysian citizenship documents had been issued illegally; how long these types of scandal had been going on, how many other such syndicate existed and what other loop holes existed in the system that would allow illegal immigrants to obtain Malaysian citizenship documents.”
With that in mind, Upko strongly requested the Technical Committee of Immigrant Management in Sabah to take the next step to tackle this perennial problem of illegal immigrants which have been haunting Sabahans for more than three decades, at least.
“After the release of the RCI findings in Dec. 2014 and the formation of the Committee immediately after that, Sabahans are questioning the delay in the formulation of a concrete plan of action to resolve this illegal immigrant issue, what more the forceful and effective implementation of such a plan.
“Suffice to say that if all relevant government departments and agencies co-ordinates and take action such as that taken by the MACC, the people of Sabah will be re-assured that the government considers this problem as extremely serious.
“Upko, which has submitted its recommendations to the Committee, again reiterates one of its main proposal to recall, to verify and to reissue all Sabahan ICs or MyKads to genuine Sabahans only, he said.
Donald, who is also the Upko Citizenship & Sabah Native Affairs Bureau chairman said that was the best way to weed out immigrants with illegally obtained Malaysian citizenship documents.
“Recalling and re-issuance of identification certificates and MyKads has been done by the National Registration Department at least four times already for the whole of Malaysian for the purposes of updating and upgrading. Upko does not see any untoward difficulty in doing so for the state of Sabah only,” he said.
Upko also strongly advocates the tabling of a new law or the amendment of existing laws for treason to include any and all persons involved in the process of offering citizenship illegally, selling and buying Malaysian citizenship documents and anyone making false statutory declarations on issues of citizenship.
He said the severest penalties must also be imposed, among which to include, mandatory imprisonment, confiscation of illegally obtained gains (including properties) and termination of citizenship to those found guilty.
“Upko considers the peddling of Malaysian documents of citizenship as the highest form of treason to Malaysia and to all patriotic Malaysians. Therefore the punishment must be severe as this may also act as a deterrent to others,” he said.