Racial tension if RCI call denied, says SAPP

KOTA KINABALU: Racial tension may flare up in Sabah if the people's call for a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on illegal immigrants and the Project IC is turned down by the government, said the Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP).

Its Adviser Datuk Mohd Noor Mansur said contrary to what certain people believe the likelihood of a racial tension in Sabah would be greater if the government continues to ignore this matter (setting up of RCI) because "the natives in Sabah are already not very happy with it (the huge presence of illegal immigrants in the State)."

"This is my sincere opinion on this matter. I also would like to stress here that our party's intention in saying this, or our call for the setting up of a RCI, is not because we are against any race, but because of the fact that we must follow the law, even in becoming a citizen of this country," he said in a press conference held at the party's headquarters in Bornion Centre, Luyang, here Friday.

Deputy President Haji Amde Sidek, Vice President Dullie Haji Marie and other leaders representing about 10 different ethnic communities throughout Sabah were also present.

Mohd Noor said the party has since several years ago demanded together with various non-governmental organisations and political parties in Sabah the setting up of the said RCI.

"The demand has nothing to do with or does not involve the question of any race or religion at all, as it is only focused on the law of this country, rules and regulation and sovereignty...it does not touch, on the sensitivity of anyone especially Malaysians in Sabah. So one should not dare to make any statement to frighten the people in the State on the formation of RCI," he said.

The party's stand is that everyone has the right to apply for a Malaysian identity card (IC) but this must be through a legal and transparent process, he said.

He said the party's petition campaign has collected more than 50,000 signatures from Malaysians in Sabah who wanted the Federal Government to set up the said RCI to end the problem of illegal immigrants in the State whose figures have already reached at alarming hundreds of thousands.

He said the signed petition letter has already been submitted to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Naiib Tun Razak and Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin in Parliament by the party's delegation led by Deputy President and Sepanggar MP Datuk Eric Majimbun.

A copy of this letter had also been handed over to Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman.

Mohd Noor said the party demanded the government set up the said RCI because it wants it to do a comprehensive study on the illegal immigrant influx in Sabah, the drastic popularion increase and growth in the State as well as to clean, up the State's electoral roll and investigate thoroughly the so-called "Project IC".

He said the government as reported has set up several investigation bodies like a Lab on Illegal Immigrants, a Parliamentary Select Committee and launched the 5P and 6P programmes, but all of these seem to have no follow up action and ineffective in solving the long standing illegal immigrants problem in the State.

Because of this he said it is most appropriate for the government to set up the RCI in Sabah, so as to get an ultimate solution to this mother of all problems in the State.