– The Malaysian Insider
January 17, 2013
JAN 17 – Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today explained why citizenship was given to illegal immigrants in Sabah, an issue being investigated by a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI).
Dr Mahathir said the process was within the law as the immigrants had been in Sabah for decades and spoke Bahasa Melayu.
“When I was prime minister, I was in power to determine the implementation of government policies.
“The government received foreigners to be citizens if (they) fulfilled certain conditions, furthermore those who are there are not one, two days but already 20 to 30 years and they speak in Bahasa Melayu, have the right to be Malaysians,” he said at a press conference here.
“So the problem is when there are people who are tidak senang (unhappy) when there are some who become Malaysians although those individuals have already long resided in Malaysia, that is what causes problems.”
That defence is weak, especially when those who have testified at the RCI say they were ordered to issue citizenship and receipts for blue or citizen’s identity cards.
An official accused the late former deputy home affairs minister Tan Sri Megat Junid Megat Ayub of ordering the National Registration Department (NRD)’s Sabah branch to issue temporary documents to allow immigrants to vote in a 1994 state election.
But what is most shocking is the attempt to draw parallel between his government’s action and those of Malaysia’s founding prime minister, Al-Marhum Tunku Abdul Rahman Al-Haj.
“One should also look back and remember that Tunku Abdul Rahman was worse than me, he gave one million to citizenships to people who are not qualified and not even tested?”
“Why is it when he does it, it is not wrong, and when I do it, it’s wrong?” he asked.
In the run-up to Merdeka in 1957, Tunku’s Alliance government ensured that non-Malays who resided in Malaya had a right to citizenship, which was agreed by all including the Conference of Rulers.
The thing is this, Tunku Abdul Rahman did not give out citizenship to subvert the electoral process. He gave it to those who had stayed long enough in Malaya to be Malayans.
Now that might also be Dr Mahathir’s defence but it flies in the face of the testimony given thus far.
A Malaysian citizenship is not something to be simply given except those born here or elsewhere with Malaysian parentage.
Anything less than that for electoral gains is a cheap way of winning. And a betrayal of the Federal Constitution, no matter the excuse of time in Malaysia or knowing Bahasa Melayu.
OK. I don’t think its just me but I think Mahathir just called Chinese and Indians Pendatang without saying it..Read the between the lines of the words and it sounds like the words of fascist racist with “the final solution” wishful thinking…
///“I’ve never turned down any subpoena……”/// – Tun M
Will Tun M said, “I cannot remember, it looks like…but not sure….,” when asked to testify before the Sabah RCI??
Listen ! Listen ! Listen !
Listen to Dr M’s bullsyit.
It is plain “Project IC” and citizenship and the beneficiaries get all the perks which long time residents don’t even have.
Gee Dr M, the longer you survive, the more syit emerges and are thrown at you. Do a Megat Junid.
I think its checkmate for TM trying to hide behind TAR. He can’t compare that with TAR.
Then in the run up to 1957, everyone was a British subject under the colonial master. If TAR did not do the honorable thing to give citizenships to the so call million people who have been laboring for the land for decades, then the British government would be obligated to issue them British passports. They would be British citizens.
From the various witnesses it was very clear that TM did it with a singular devilish aim – to win the election. This is fraud! Its worse than buying votes. Its treason!!!!!!
Dr M willing to testify before RCI if subpoenaed.
So RCI, what are we waiting for?
Dr. M, it’s time now to put your money where your mouth is; not just talk, talk, talk, tokok.
LISTEN! MCA, MIC, Gerakan, etc, boh hood bed fellows of evil n racist UmnoB, WHAT say U?
Y many red IC Chinese n Malays who have lived here 4 many years (even 4 >1 generation) NOT as well treated as illegal immigrants in Sabah?
Perhaps, the great Tun has conveniently forgotten that the 1million citizenships given out by our Bapa Malaysia are the ones who toiled the lands and contributed much in the developments of the country to where it is today. Their’s and their generations are part and parcel of historical Malayans then and Malaysians now. As you yourself once said ‘there are the ones who paid 90% of the nation tax revenues’, citizens from whose descendants you now chose to label as not qualified or even tested. How ironic!
Tell us then, Tun, What have these so-called qualified and tested citizenships you have given out to these foreigners been of anything beneficial to the economy and well-beings of our country apart from all the social problems we are facing today?
Please, God, let this old man be kept alive for as long as possible so that the world can see the man for what he is – a criminal in the mould of Pol Pot.
I live in NY, but I speak bahasa Malaysia perfectly, do you speak perfectly eh
Chengho,
Good to know that you live in NY and you do not live in Malaysia. So you are an American with a Malaysia citizenship ?
Chengho, kenapa kamu menetap di NY bukan di Malaysia? Kamu tidak patriotik dan kewarganegaraan awak patut dilucut. Menurut logik TDM kamu menetap di NY, “speaks English” maka patut diberi kerakyatan US.
Such an honourable person, trust his lot of bulls than facts on ground.
Najib is in power now, he is showing off this to you. Quickly go cut a deal wth him.
Megat no more.. paper work u have signed … those foreigners have been here beforr merdeka.
Let me say it simply. ITS NOT LEGAL..It was done covertly without proper procedures and documentation, some did not even apply…Most of all it VIOLATES THE MALAYSIA AGREEMENT that guarantees that Sabah has a right to determine who enters the state – ALL OF THEM WHO GOT IT ARE DEPORTABLE TO PENINSULA…They are not residents of Sabah -SHIP THEM TO MAHATHIR’S HOUSE…
Yes! Damn easy!
First, you must have strong Muslim faiths…
Second, you must be loyal to those suckers who award you citizenship…
Third, you must always vote and support those suckers to stay in power forever and ever without any grievances…
and endless…
Ok Ok Ok Ok. Right. But must the blue ics be processed and given out in mass – in the form of a long long list of names and personal particulars? Must the sabah nrd guy be sent to monsterO’mamak’s political secretary’s hse in kampung pandan to process the ICs? Its official duty mind you. Cant he work from his usual office in sabah? Must the ICs be processed in mass just before election? And many many more questions.
There is a hidden agenda. Trying to cover up this serious crime against the people and country make it worst.
One can be ‘ brave ‘ when protected by powerful people and say anything knowing he/she will get away with it.
It’s pointless arguing at this moment….change govt. and then bring this matter up again.
Heh ! You conveniently forgotten your background – you are ONE of the ONE Million, and have all to thank TUNKU.
Forgotten again !
“..“One should also look back and remember that Tunku Abdul Rahman was worse than me, he gave one million to citizenships to people who are not qualified and not even tested?”…
What a load of twisted logic from Tun M.!! In the first place, Malaya was not independent at the point in time when the Chinese or Indians who were residents here were given citizenship. It was part of the tripartite agreement between Tuanku and the other Chinese and Indian leaders with the agreement of the British. Furthermore it was done openly and transparent – unlike what Tun M and his BN. They did it on the sly for sinister reasons and only admitted it now when the worms are coming out of the woodwork.
And if ” .. having lived here for decades and speaking Bahasa Melayu..” is the criteria, then why are we having huge problems granting citizenships to Indians who not only have lived here all their lives and spoke Bahasa Melayu as well?
And even if such twisted criteria is accepted, why are the illegals granted citizenship not even interviewed to find out how long they have stayed here, are contributing to the nation and really can speak Bahasa Melayu or only Tagalog? According to testimony provided at the RCI, the NRD officials were told to just blindly sign and issue identity documents to a list of illegals. Compare this to the genuine foreign spouses who had to make inumerable trips to apply for citizenship year after year even though they can speak and write Bahasa Melayu fluently.
The poor state of the economic development in Sabah today is testimony to the fact that the BN Govt had encouraged and given citizenship to the wrong kind of people. Instead of a brain gain, all we had was huge group of people that were draining the state’s resources and contributing little or nothing in return. Except for giving their votes to UMNO and BN.
Whatever the contrived and disingenous arguments/comparison with TAR by TDM, we’ll see how these kind of non secuitur arguments/comparison in response to the RCIII revelations will help the 2008 political tsunami to reach, albeit belatedly, the shores of the ‘fixed deposit’ states in the next GE, when the flood waters reaching Peninsular 5 years before have not fully subsided as yet.
So now one hurdle has been cleared; i.e. that the IC project is indeed real and did actually take place. Except that monsterO’mamak claimed that it was legal and perfectly ok for him to do that.
Now people, that argument is a non-starter. No country in the world would grant citizenship to tens of thousands of people in one sweep.
just like 1950 , no RCI , no referendum eh
Chengho, why need RCI and referendum when all parties involved knew about it and was done openly. Also bear in mind it was before independent day.
Tun M said it’s lawful – that’s because he was the law back then. But he must have also known that it is politically and morally indefensible, which is why it’s been hidden from Malaysians all these decades.
I’m just finding it strange that there hasn’t been sporadic protests breaking out in Sabah at this juncture. Are Malaysians already so dis-sensitised to mega-scandals that they have disconnected themselves from feeling anything at all?
This is bigger than the still-considered-civilised disquiet over tainted electoral process or any one of the corruption scandals – which would have by themselves been a game changer in other developed countries.
In this case, it touches on the very disenfranchisement of Malaysian citizen voters. It’s like saying you’re actually entitled to 1 vote, but in reality, I’m only giving you 75% of your 1 vote. It would be puzzling if Malaysians take this sitting down, in their usual malaise, sedentary – aw, it’s ok – attitude. Really – I’d be flabbergasted. Words would seriously escape me. If Malaysians are not even angry/furious/jumping mad at that, then perhaps all hopes are lost for Malaysia and we truly deserve the corrupt government that we get.
Why do we bother entertaining idiots like chengho who, like many in Umno, don’t know the difference between right or wrong, transparent act vs surreptitious act, loyalty vs treason. Umno have been acting like they own the country for 56 years, and inbreeding has caused their brains to be devoid of common sense.