Chief Minister Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal (seated left) and Rural Development Minister Ewon Benedick listening to some of the problems faced by the people in Semporna district during the A Day With The Chief Minister event held at the Semporna Community Hall on Thursday.
SEMPORNA: Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal yesterday rubbished opposition allegations that the state government was issuing MyKad to illegal immigrants in the state.
The Parti Warisan Sabah president said the MyKad identity cards were only issued to eligible individuals and not illegal immigrants.
The opposition always made allegations against the state government made up of Warisan, Pakatan Harapan and UPKO, he said to reporters after attending the ‘Chief Minister with the People’ programme here.
Shafie said the state government tried to help people without the MyKad, for example the children of a foreign woman married to a local and then abandoned by the husband.
“We go by the law in addressing this problem and, in this case, we have the National Registration Department (JPN),” he said.
Shafie was asked to comment on allegations that Warisan issued MyKad to illegal immigrants and that these allegations surfaced every time there was a fire in the state.
He said the state government only sought the assistance of JPN to help Malaysians who had lost their MyKad, for example, in a fire.
“At today’s programme, there were local couples without a marriage certificate and this made it difficult for their children to obtain the MyKad and we asked JPN to help in accordance with the law,” he said.
On another matter, Shafie said the Sabah Water Department would be revamped and restructured into a more efficient and effective entity.
“We will undertake a revamp, including the vision of the department. We will rectify it so that the water department will not only supply water to the people but its revenue will come in useful for the people and the state,” he said.
photo – Shafie