But where Trump’s “extreme vetting” directive seeks to keep terrorists out of the US, Darell Leiking wants “extreme vetting” to ensure identity cards are only issued to genuine Sabahans.
“(Sabah chief minister) Pairin has hinted that there is no solution to the massive number of illegal immigrants in the state except by re-issuing the identity card.
“I believe he is referring to the re-issuance of the standard Malaysian MyKad (to Malaysians), but how will we be sure that this exercise will not be used instead as a means to register more illegal immigrants as Malaysian citizens?” said Leiking.
The Warisan deputy president was commenting on the completed report of the Technical Committee (TC) of the Royal Commission of Inquiry on the illegal immigrant problem in Sabah.
In the report, the TC also presented its recommendations on resolving the problem which has long troubled many Sabahans.
In the 1990s, “Projek IC” resulted in a number of identity cards being issued to illegal immigrants.
Should there be another project to issue new ICs, Leiking said “extreme vetting” must be applied so that only genuine Sabahans received them
Leiking, who is Penampang MP, said the state had the sovereign authority to register births and deaths as well as bar non-Sabahans from entering Sabah.
“We first need to secure Sabah by imposing extreme and tighter border security and reinstating immigration controls at all points of entry, including Menumbok to prevent non-vetted entry to Sabah from Labuan as well as illegal immigrants from entering the state.
“Next, we need to flush out all illegal immigrants including stateless kids and IMM13 holders in the state for repatriation to their countries of origin.”
To do this, he said, Sabah needed to have an “extreme vetting procedure”.
The next step was “a major birth certificate registration exercise” statewide, he said.
Leiking said should Warisan wrest control of Sabah from Barisan Nasional, it would introduce the Sabah Card to be issued to genuine Sabahans as a means to protect the people of the state.
The Sabah Card could even be issued before or after the re-issuance of the MyKad, he added.
“Give us a chance in the coming general election and we will show everyone how to deal with the issue of illegal immigrants, and how to take back our rights as Sabah.”