PENAMPANG: Penampang Barisan Nasional chairman Datuk Donald Peter Mojuntin said the call to retract all Sabahan identification cards (MyKads) was meant to sort out Sabah’s perennial problem of illegal immigrants and not to offend anyone.
Commenting on the planned rally against the retraction of Sabahan MyKads, Donald said that the call was made by local political parties as well as political parties from West Malaysia to enhance the security of the nation.
“This is not only meant for Sabah, but rather, for the security of the nation. This is because once the illegal immigrants are in Sabah, they can go anywhere in the country,” Donald said.
He added that besides security, the move would be beneficial towards the socio-economical aspect of the nation.
“For example, when it comes to healthcare, if the illegal immigrants are sick, they would crowd the hospitals and there would be no room for real, local Sabahans,” he added.
Donald, however, said that despite the postings on social media about the planned rally, it was important for it to be verified first.
“Anyone can post something on the internet and spin lies. I do hope that the news that the rally will be held on May 31 is not true.
“If it is not true, I feel sad that some parties have put this kind of information on the internet, causing stress, anxiety and anger among some people,” he said.
Donald, who is also Upko secretary-general, said that even if the planned rally was not verified yet, a response had to be made.
“After all, if it is indeed true that it will be held, we would face difficulties if we remain silent,” he added.
He also said that if the event was really going to be held, then he thought that those non-governmental organisations (NGOs) espousing the rally were not really interested in solving the problem of illegal immigrants in Sabah.
“If they do hold the rally, then I would be very disappointed and to a certain extent, angry because they do not fully understand the motive of calling back Sabahan MyKads.
“The intention of the move is to clear out the list of illegal immigrants who have been registered as citizens with the National Registration Department (NRD).
“We are worried because there are lots of illegal immigrants who obtained their MyKads illegally whether through syndicates or through some projects here and there,” he added.
Donald said that this could be seen when the Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi recently announced that many people have had their MyKads retracted.
“These MyKads are legitimate. However, the process of obtaining them was illegal,” he said further.
He added that there were some people who say that it would be impossible to recall all Sabahan MyKads.
“How is it not possible when the NRD had already changed our identification cards several times leading to us using the MyKads, which are embedded with security features?
“If it could be done on a national scale, why can’t it be done for Sabah? Just collect all those Sabahan MyKads, check and filter them and if there are no problems, return them to their owners,” he added.
He also said that there was nothing to fear if the MyKads were obtained legally.
“Even if you were a foreigner who obtained a MyKad legally, if you face any problems getting back your MyKad after it has been recalled, we will help you.
“We only want to filter out those MyKads obtained illegally,” he added.
Earlier, Donald officiated at the SK Kibabaig Kaamatan Festival where he appreciated the efforts of school and its Parents Teachers Association (PTA) in organising the festival to ensure that the local culture would still be enjoyed and preserved by the younger generation.
He added that such a celebration at a school level will also help foster unity and understanding among the community.
Also present during the event were Penampang Assistant District Education Officer George Totu, Penampang Police chief DSP Rosley Hobdin, headmaster of SK Kibabaig Jainal Lebar and SK Kibabaig PTA chairman Donnel Juis.