Azis with Mustafar during Ops Mega. – Bernama photo
KOTA KINABALU: Deputy Home Minister Datuk Mohd Azis Jamman yesterday said the police have been instructed to investigate a claim gone viral on social media that a form to apply for citizenship was being distributed among illegal immigrants in Sabah.
He said the allegation that the form was being distributed under his blessings as Deputy Home Minister was aimed at smearing the good reputation of Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan), which currently rules the state.
“Recently, there has been information doing the rounds on social media that there is a form created by certain quarters who have supposedly got my blessings to collect information from illegal immigrants in order to issue them with identification cards.
“So I have ordered the police to investigate this matter…and if we find out who is behind this, we will make arrests and impose stern action against them,” he said.
He was speaking to reporters after the Ops Mega operation here early yesterday which was also joined in by Immigration Department director-general Datuk Seri Mustafar Ali.
Mohd Azis said the issue may have been created by certain parties seeking to discredit the government.
“We know that the Opposition has often attacked us, for example, they say Warisan is harbouring illegal immigrants in Sabah. These are all just accusations to smear our reputation,” he said.
Commenting on Ops Mega, the Sepanggar MP said it would continue to be carried out nationwide to ensure that the Government’s intention to rid the country of illegal immigrants.
“Today I joined the Immigration Department’s operation in Sepanggar, my own constituency, because we want the problem of illegals to be resolved. This shows our seriousness to combat illegal immigrants. If they enter the country illegally, we will arrest them all and evict them,” he said. — Bernama