The Penampang Volunteer Monitors’ Movement (Pantau) posted the petition on change.org yesterday. It said it hoped to see MPs debate the RCI report.

The RCI was set up in August 2012 in response to long standing demands for an investigation into the so-called Projek IC, an alleged scheme in which hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants were said to have been given identity cards on the promise that they would vote for Barisan Nasional.

The commission began its hearings in January 2013 and presented its report to Prime Minister Najib Razak and the Yang di-Pertuan Agong at the end of 2014. The report is available on the internet.

Pantau said the petition was a “response to Prime Minister Najib Razak’s promise to release the report in Parliament, which has yet to happen”.

It urged Sabahans to support the petition “so that MPs from Sabah, who have been entrusted with the welfare of the people in the state, can debate the report and its suggested solutions without any political pressure.”

Penampang MP Darell Leiking, who is Parti Warisan Sabah’s deputy president, has signed the petition.

In a statement last month, Leiking said: “Barisan Nasional has used the people’s money for the RCI, and after finalising the report almost three years ago, has not produced any outcome until today. Illegal immigrants are still roaming the state.”

Pantau president Jo Nandu told FMT the petition page was likely to remain on change.org until Oct 23.

He said Pantau had not set a target for the number of signatures, “but we put it at a very conservative figure of, say 1,000 to 5,000”.

He said the petition would be submitted to Najib, Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman and the federal cabinet.

At press time, there were a total of 195 signatures.