RCI's witnesses credibility questioned

In an earlier posting here entitled "Sabah's newspapers attempt to incite KDM", Chinese DAP were told not to interfere in the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on ICs given to illegal immigrants in Sabah.

For those given citizenship by the Malay rulers on the principle of Jus Soli, they have no business to question those who were given citizenship on the basis of Jus Sanguine. They have more natural rights than Chinese who are immigrants from far away land with culture so alien to Sabah.

Lim Kit Siang did not heed that reminder and raised the issues in the RCI in his blog. He copy and pasted  sensationalise reports from opposition friendly portals. It only goes to show that this veteran politician has no shame.

Nevertheless, those pasted reports are useful references to question the credibility of witnesses that made those sensational statements on the third day of RCI yesterday.

Kit Siang republished MI report here on former Sabah National Registration Department (NRD) Director,  Ramli Kamarudin accusation on the late Tan Sri Megat Junid Megat Ayub, then Deputy Home Affairs Minister for ordering him to issue NRD receipts to enable and also train and arrange the alleged illegal immigrants in Sabah to vote in the 1994 state election.

Also a report by M'kini here of then Tamparuli NRD chief, Yakup Damsah claiming to receive instruction from then-Sabah NRD chief Abdul Rauf Sanihe for him and two other NRD officers to be flown to Kuala Lumpur and  worked out of Tan Sri Aziz Shamsuddin’s house in Kampung Pandan to speedily sign for the immediate and swift issuance and distribution of identity cards for alleged immigrants in Sabah.

Another is M'kini report here of Kee Dzulkifly Kee Abdul Jalil claim to be part of a special unit dubbed as G17 that operated out of the Sabah NRD headquarters in Kota Kinabalu. They were responsible to  process application forms for some 100,000 blue identity cards for immigrants and issue letters of approval for an estimated 200,000 birth certificates for children of immigrants.

Last was FMT report here of former National Registration Department (NRD) officer, Mohd Nasir Sungip who was involved in the same alleged Projek IC scheme.

In a glance, these testimonies seemed staggering and are sensational news material.

However, all the sources reported the witnesses and names mentioned; Kee Dzulkifly, Asli Sidup, Alcop Damsah @ Yakup Damsah, Nasit Sugip and their boss Ramli Kamaruddin were detained under the Internal Security Act.

They were detained for their role in a syndicate to extort money from the approved immigrants before issuing them the blue ICs. This blogger also confirm to have met and heard those involved in this syndicate acknowledge they made money from the exercise.

The government had planned and agreed to issue citizenship to the political refugees in accordance with the  proper principle, conditions and procedures. Thus, the award of citizenship and issuance of IC is not an issue but it was these witnesses that were culprits in smearing the reputation of the exercise.

Such offense is a threat to national security and warrants for an ISA detention in order to quickly stop the scam to take advantage on the powerless from continuing.

Anyone involved in giving away ICs and falsifying documents to enable non citizens to be citizens and enjoy the rights and benefits as other Malaysians are doing act of treasons.

Bear in mind that their corrupt act which is driven by money and greed could be the reasons that the lawful exercise is viewed as a conspiracy to manipulate election results.

By bringing them as witness, it would put the finding of the RCI into jeopardy. Unless there is another process of "cleaning" up their name, their testimonies are as worthless as the words of PI Bala in any law. His flip flop Statutory Declarations will deem him as unreliable witness.

There is a great possibility that these former NRD officers could be making claims to clean their name. They could have an ax-to-grind against the authorities for putting them under ISA detention for few years. They may be willing to implicate the government and others for revenge.

Late Megat Junid will 

not be able to tell his 

side of the story

They implicated the late Megat Junid in which it is impossible to verify the authenticity of their allegations. It is unfair to mention his name since he is unable to tell his side of the story.

Malaysiakini had contacted Tan Sri Aziz and his response was that he has no recollection of the matter. Why would such an operation be done from a private home of a government official? Sounds amateurish to be believable.

In the meanwhile, one of the witness claimed for Sabah Chief Minister, Dato Osu Sukam was in the hotel room with the late Megat Junid when Ramli and Asli were given verbal instruction. He has not testified to verify such happenings.

Thus far, all these testimonies by witnesses does not come with any proof to back their claim. All these claims are only collaborated by other ISA detainees too. It does not make it credible.

It could also be merely hearsay.

In addition, Nasir Sungip is believed to be the brother to PAS state assemblyman for Selangor, Saari Sungip. That raised the possibility of partisan political motive and biasness in Nasir's statement at the RCI.

A day earlier, The Star here reported statement of former chief minister Tan Sri Harris Salleh at the RCI.

He refuted the existence of an operation called Projek IC to issue Malaysian IC and documents to immigrants in Sabah.

In his explanation, he told the RCI that he had no authority to order Malaysian agencies to give out identification documents when he was Chief Minister between 1976 and 1985.

The Federal Government was the sole authority for the issuance of identity cards and other documents.

Although he is not wrong, Harris failed to mention that the procedure of the Federal Government prior to award of citizenship, especially involving Sabah and Sarawak is to get the concurrence of the state on the list of approved applicants.

Harris also said that Federal agencies may have tried to hasten the processing of documents for immigrants such as the IMM13 for those granted refugee status due to the large numbers of applicants.

That could partly explain for the perceived clandestine in the operation as claimed by those witnesses with questionable credibility.

Did the questioning officer of the RCI take all these into consideration before bringing in all these witnesses? Are there not other NRD officials that can explain the official position of NRD?

Read also Bigdogdotcom's take on the latest RCI here.