KOTA KINABALU: It is comical and ironical to read the hypocritical responses of the Upko Secretary-General and the PKR Inanam representative in the Warisan mouth-piece.
Jalumin Bayogoh, Deputy President of Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STARSabah), in a press statement said this in response to their statements.
Instead of addressing the issue of finding a long-term solution to the long outstanding issue of illegal immigrants and undocumented foreigners in Sabah, they resorted to defending the Warisan-led State government and attacked Dr. Jeffrey for proposing the Forum to find a solution to the issue, he stated.
Kenny Chua, PKR Sabah’s vice-chairman cum Assistant Finance Minister has ironically reiterated that the permanent solution to the illegal immigrants’ problem in Sabah is to repatriate them and to introduce the Sabah IC.
Just months ago, PKR Sabah including himself openly supported the issuance of the PSS to foreigners and illegal immigrants in Sabah, according to Jalumin.
He also did not object when their compatriot, Warisan then federal de-facto law minister. Datuk VK Liew, had openly objected to the issuance of the Sabah IC.
“The PSS was to be valid for 3 years and renewable indefinitely accordingly to Warisan’s then Deputy federal Home Minister, Datuk Ajis Jamman, who had also answered in the Parliament Senate that PSS holders were even eligible to apply for citizenship.”
“As part of the Sabah government, why isn’t PKR Sabah walking the talk and repatriate the foreigners and illegal immigrants, many of whom are roaming the streets all over Sabah,” he added.
They should at the same time take the necessary action to issue the Sabah IC as it is within the jurisdiction of the Sabah government to issue such Sabah IC, he stressed.
*As for the Upko Secretary-Genera, Nelson Angang, he should review what Upko did before misleading the public on the PSS and putting the blame on Dr. Jeffrey and the Federal government.”
According to him, the Federal Home Ministry had clarified in Parliament that the PSS was an initiative of the Warisan-led Sabah government and they merely acceded to the State request.
The Sabah government is a back-door government, formed as a result of Upko’s president and their assemblymen jumping from BN.
As a reward, their president. Datuk Madius Tangau, was awarded with an appointment as a nominated assemblyperson and made Deputy Chief Minister, which circumstances appear to be rewards as defined under the MACC Act, Jalumin opined.
” Upko had taken the task to go round Sabah justifying the issuance of the PSS to foreigners and seeking public support. The Upko president was also reported as saying that foreigners will be given citizenships. Upko even organized a round-table forum, attended by the secretary-general himself, to garner public support for the PSS,” he elaborated.
The Warisan-led government and Upko eventually had to scrap the PSS after public outcry and rejection through the Kimanis by-election where the Warisan candidate lost by a huge majority. Nelson should be reminded that it was the Sabah government that requested the federal government to scrap the PSS and it was not on the accord of the federal government itself as alleged by him.
“For further hypocrisy of the Upko president, he is now jumping on public sentiment especially in Malaya to retract and issue a new Malaysian IC. Before it become a hot topic in Malaya, the Upko president had remained silent on the issue and merely tagged along under Warisan’s coattails and fully supported the PSS. The Upko president was even reported in the news on the preparation of the Cabinet paper on the PSS for approval.”
” They, PKR and Upko, by their own actions and conduct are stooges in the Warisan government and their responses further confirms that they are mere lackeys and are unable to look after the interests of genuine Sabahans. They rather follow the PTI-friendly policies of the Warisan government and sell-out their fellow Sabahans, especially the natives in the case of Upko.”
Being part of the Sabah government, both Pkr and Upko, should insist that their CM follow the footsteps of former CM, Tan Sri Chong Kah Ket, and take strict action to nab and repatriate the illegal immigrants. Instead, they accuse Dr. Jeffrey of being “No Action, Talk Only” (NATO) when it is they themselves who are practicing the NATO and being irrelevant components in the Sabah government, Jalumin elaborated further.
“It was also PKR’s own political suicide in giving huge concessions to Warisan during PRU-14. As a result, Pkr were reduced to 2 ADUNs from 8 in PRU-13 and became a ”mosquito” party and unable to contribute towards the well-being of Sabah. This is more so when their Sabah Pkr chief is found by the High Court to be liable to a State agency which is claiming RM557 million from her and perhaps hoping for a political favour for the CM to instruct the State agency to withdraw the claim despite the Court finding.”
He added everyone is aware, the Malaysian federal government is in a new era with different components and a new pro-rakyat leadership under PM Tan Sri Muhyiddin.
Not only has the federal government done well in combating the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic, they have formulated some good policies under the Economic Stimulus packages totaling RM260 billion to help the people and business communities, he said.
They have also shown a different stand and actions with regards to illegal immigrants, undocumented workers and foreigners who have unlawfully sneaked into the country, he stated.
“They are rounding up and arresting the illegals. It was also reported yesterday (30th May) that the federal government will be repatriating the illegals starting with 2,861 Indonesian PTIs commencing on 6th June which included 672 from Sabah,” he stressed.
“The Forum proposed by our STARSabah president to hear the voice of the people in finding a long-term solution to the illegal immigrants’ issue is both timely and appropriate in the present era.”-pr/BNN
