RCI should have called US expert who studied migrants problem, say Sabah leaders

BN's Datuk Madius Tangau says US academic Dr Kamal Sadiq, who did a thesis on Sabah's migrants problem, should have testified at the recently-held RCI. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, December 19, 2014.

A researcher who had documented Sabah's illegal immigrants problem should have been called to testify at the recent Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on illegal immigrants in the state, say two Sabah political leaders from opposing sides.

Barisan Nasional's Tuaran MP Datuk Madius Tangau and Penampang MP Darrel Leiking of PKR said Dr Kamal Sadiq of the University of California, who did a thesis on the issue and whose work was mentioned during the RCI, should have been asked to testify.

Madius and Darrel both agreed that Kamal should have been invited to appear before the RCI, which was formed in August 2012. It began public hearings in January 2013 and lasted nine months.

"Although the findings of Kamal's studies were mentioned many times during the RCI, he did not appear during the proceedings," said Madius, of the Sabah-based United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation (Upko), speaking during a webcast of a roundtable discussion on the RCI report.

Kamal, an American academic, had written his doctoral thesis, "Conflict over illegal immigration into Malaysia", on how illegal migrants had become Malaysian citizens and obtained identity cards.

Kamal stated that Sabah was experiencing an alarming annual population growth rate of 6.2% compared with the Malaysian rate of 2.7%.

He said this rate was almost three times that of other states, according to the RCI report released recently.

In the article, Kamal stated that according to the 7th Malaysia Plan (1995-2000), Sabah would have some 3.3 million people while Sarawak will trail with 2.06 million.

"Kamal's papers and research on illegal immigrants in Sabah were extensive. He should have been called as a witness," said Darrel at the discussion moderated by political analyst Prof James Chin of Monash University Malaysia.

The roundtable discussion was organised by the Jeffrey Cheah Institute on Southeast Asia. A 17-minute webcast of it was posted on YouTube.

Darrel (pic, left) questioned why the police Special Branch had not probed the indiscriminate issuance of identity cards to illegal immigrants from a political perspective.

"During the RCI, many witnesses who confirmed their involvement in indiscriminately issuing identity cards to illegal immigrants had been probed by Special Branch."

"However, police had focused their investigations on the financial remunerations which these witnesses had received, not the political aspect," Darrel said.

Both Darrel and Madius also agreed that the next step for Putrajaya was the issuance of new identity cards to the entire population of Sabah following the release of the RCI report.

More than 200 witnesses testified to the five-men RCI panel, led by former Sabah and Sarawak Chief Justice, Tan Sri Steve Shim Lip Kiong.

The RCI report was released on December 3 but was greeted with disappointment over its lack of action in bringing those responsible for fraudulently issuing identity cards to immigrants.

The report's only recommendation was for a secretariat and committee to be established to address all issues related to matter of illegal immigrants in Sabah.

- TMI