Blog by Lim Kit Siang on Saturday, 11^th August 2012: 

Ocean of doubt/skepticism greets Sabah RCIII

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, has finally announced the terms of reference of the Sabah Royal Commission of Inquiry on Illegal Immigrants.

My initial tweet comments on Najib’s announcement are as follows:

1. No RCI as Sabah RCIII (Illegal Immigrants) assailed with such ocean of public skepticism/doubt it is bona fide solution 2 four-decade problem

2. 1st impressions – (i) too little, too late, too limited in powers

   (ii) I/C 4votes no more Sabah problem but nation-wide. Y no national probe

   (iii)Estimates of illegal immigrants in Sabah range from 1.5 mil to 2 mil. RCI capable of dealing with this number?

   (iv) Do’s/don’ts of RCI?

   (v) Can RCI probe Project M n call up Mahathir as star-witness?

   (vi) Can RCI probe those responsible for massive issue of false documents?

   (vii) why PM taken six months to finalise eight RCI terms of reference.

   (viii) BN rejected my Sabah RCI motion in Parliament in 2008. Why?

The eight terms of reference of the RCI announced by Najib are:

1. To investigate the number of foreigners in Sabah given blue Malaysian ICs or citizenships;

2. To investigate if the award of such ICs or citizenships were according to the law;

3. To investigate if those given blue ICs, temporary identification receipts or citizenships through unlawful means have been registered in Sabah’s electoral roll;

4. To investigate if the authorities have taken any action or made improvements to standard operating procedures (SOPs), methods and regulations to prevent any irregularities in accordance with the law;

5. To conduct a deeper probe into the SOPs, methods and regulations on the award of blue ICs or citizenships to foreigners in Sabah by taking into consideration international norms and standards that are applicable to Malaysia, and to recommend amendments or changes to improve current practices;

6. To investigate the reasons behind Sabah’s population growth according to the following categories:

   a) Sabah citizens residing in the state, including those given blue ICs or citizenships through birth certificates (late registration);

   b) foreign workers (including family members);

   c) illegal immigrants (including family members); and

   d) fugitives

   and to study their impact on the number of those registered in the electoral roll;

7. To investigate the social implications on the Sabah community following the award of blue ICs or citizenships to foreigners in the state; and

8. To investigate the number of “stateless” foreigners in Sabah given blue ICs or citizenships.

The RCI will be chaired by former Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Tan Sri Steve Shim Lip Kiong and will comprise four other commissioners ― former Universiti Malaysia Sabah vice-chancellor Datuk Seri Prof Dr Kamaruzaman Ampon, former Sabah Attorney-General Tan Sri Herman J. Luping, Malaysian Crime Prevention Foundation deputy chairman and former Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Henry Chin Poy-Wu, and former Sabah State Secretary Datuk Kee Mustafa.

Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism Ministry secretary-general Datuk Saripuddin Kasim will act as the RCI secretary.

*Lim Kit Siang, DAP Parliamentary Leader & MP for Ipoh Timor