Yong told the state assembly that the issuance of a Sabah IC would kickstart a gradual process to filter out dubious ICs issued to foreigners, such as through the infamous Projek IC, and address the state’s perennial undocumented migrants issue.
Projek IC is a term used to describe allegations of systematic granting of citizenship to migrants by giving them identification cards in the 1990s.
Yong, a nominated assemblyman, said there was significant evidence that identification documents were issued dubiously and witnesses had testified about this at a royal commission of inquiry (RCI) hearing on illegal immigrants in Sabah.
He said one witness had told the RCI panel that he was born outside the country and only came to Malaysia in 1980.
The witness was then issued a Malaysian blue identity card 10 years later, with the document stating he was born in a village in Sabah.
“He has the code 12 in his identity card number and this means he will enjoy all the privileges as a Sabahan. The Passport Act 1966 (which requires non-Sabahans to furnish travel documents to immigration in order to enter the state) will not apply to him.
“This is proof that the integrity of the MyKad has been compromised. That is why I am suggesting we do something to help Sabahans, which is the Sabah IC,” said Yong, who is the Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) president.
Yong, a lawyer by profession, said he had submitted a motion for the state assembly to debate the Sabah IC but it was rejected by the Speaker due to concerns that it might contravene the country’s laws, in particular over the issuance of MyKads by Putrajaya.
“The MyKad is issued by the Malaysian government. Although the federal government has the power to grant citizenship to non-Malaysians, it has no power to grant Sabahan status to foreigners or those not originally from Sabah.
“All holders of the Sabah IC, if it is implemented, will be Malaysian citizens but not all MyKad holders will be Sabahans, including those who obtained documents through Projek IC,” he said.
Yong said that a person can be a Malaysian but will not be officially recognised as a Sabahan till they are granted a Sabah IC after a strict verification process by the state government.
When Usukan assemblyman Salleh Said Keruak said the Sabah IC would be similar to the residency card concept practised in the US and China, Yong agreed but said the Sabah IC “is more” than that.
“The Sabah IC exempts the holders from the need to apply for a visitor’s pass or work permit to enter and work in the state.
“They can also apply for land and work with the state government,” he said, in reply to a question by Kadamaian assemblyman Ewon Benedick.
To a question by Tanjung Kapor assemblyman Ben Chong over potential abuse, Yong said he was also concerned about that.
“So the process must be transparent. There must be a committee made up of members from the government and opposition to draw up the rules and conditions.”
Double Six crash report
Meanwhile, the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah pro tem deputy chairman also called on the state to ask Putrajaya to request that the Australian government release a report revealing the details behind the Double Six crash.
This refers to the air crash involving a GAF Nomad aircraft in which several prominent state Cabinet members, including then chief minister Fuad Stephens, were killed on June 6, 1976.
Yong said he had on March 14, 2012 attempted to obtain the report from the Australian national archives but Canberra had rejected his application.
He said the reason given was that it could jeopardise relations between the two countries if the report was revealed.
“So, I suggest the state government ask Putrajaya to request that the Australian government make the report public.
“This will serve as a closure for families of those who perished. Declassifying the report will also educate us on what actually happened that day,” Yong said.