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Formation of a new branch headed by Joshua Y. C. Kong Press Statement by Teresa kok (Kota Kinabalu, Monday): I would like to announce that another DAP Branch has been formed in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, i.e. Lintas Branch, headed by Joshua Y. C. Kong who is a chartered accountant and well known writer in Sabah.   Sdr. Joshua Y. C. Kong, aged 54, obtained his degree in ACCA from the Emile Woolfe Accountancy College in London. He is also a poet with the International Society of Poets in USA. He is a regular contributor to the local English dailies and has the distinction of having authored 3 books, namely, New Wealth Order, Epic of Sabah and FIRE.   Joshua had previously contested in the 1986 general election in the Api-Api constituency as well as in the Likas by-election in July 2001.   In view of the impending Sabah state election, it is the wish of the DAP that more branches be formed and more intellectual and capable people join the party so that we can play a greater role in Sabah politics and fill the Opposition vacuum in the state.  Legalised phantom voters in Sabah  The Election Commission has vowed to clean up the electoral roll since the by-election last year. However, what is worrying to the people of Sabah is the increase of migrants who possess Mykad. I was told that many Filipino migrants are seen lining-up at the Registration Department in KK to apply for the Mykad. I was further informed that the period of waiting for approval of Mykad applications is faster for this group of migrants compare to the locals. I urge the Registration Department to verify this complain.  The Deputy Home Minister Datuk Chor Chee Heung said in the Dewan Negara in April 2003 that the government had granted citizenship status to more than 2.286 million foreigners. I will pose a question in the June Parliament sitting to ask the Home Ministry to give a breakdown of the original nationalities and the number of years these people had been accorded Malaysian nationality.  It would be a matter of interest for us to find out whether most of these foreigners who have been granted citizenship status are migrants in Sabah.  I would like to question the Home Ministry whether they are trying to legalise the Filipino migrants by granting Mykad and citizenship status to them, so that they are no longer phantom voters but are Mykad holders instead, in order to ensure a clean sweep for the Barisan Nasional in the coming state election and general election. This move, if not controlled, will certainly change the racial composition and demography of the population in Sabah as well as threaten the security in Sabah.  The killing of a helpless 12-year old boy Adrian Wong Kia Chun on April 19, 2003 and the assault of a local boy by a group of foreign children in Kampong Ayer on April 21 should be taken seriously by the Sabah government as the security of the Sabahans had been threatened by the migrants in Sabah.   The unlawful take-over of car park lots at the Damai Points Commercial Centre shows the unreasonableness and authoritarianism of the DBKK      The Damai Points Commercial Centre on Jalan Damai, Luyang, Kota Kinabalu was offered the Occupation of Certificate of Fitness (OCF) on 12th November 1999. The OCF stated that the developer/management corporation is responsible for the maintenance of all infrastructures (i.e. road, drain and sewerage system) within the development permanently. The developer has applied to hand over to the DBKK the streetlights in a letter dated 29th November 2000 but the DBJKK has rejected the application citing the same aforesaid condition stated in the OCF.   However, on 28th November 2002, the Mayor of DBKK issued a letter to the developer to order the developer to transfer to the Mayor of the Kota Kinabalu the land titles to the sewerage reserve, drain reserve, road reserve, pedestrian mall, open space and other public places. This order of the DBKK was entirely against the condition specified in the OCF issued by the DBKK itself.    Although the developer has filed a suit against the DBKK, the DBKK still send its officers to collect parking fees at the Damai Points Commercial Centre. The action of the DBKK has violated the agreement stated in the Sale and Purchase Agreement between the developer and the purchasers, where each purchaser has been promised a free parking lot. The collection of parking fees at the Damai Points Commercial Centre through the Wawasan Iktisas Sdn. Bhd has resulted in huge losses to both developer and the shop purchasers. The developer has been accused of not adhering to the Sale and Purchase Agreement, whereas the purchasers who are entitled to free parking now are now forced to pay a minimum RM23.84 for 8 hours of parking.   The collection of huge parking fees by the DBKK via Wawasan Iktisas Sdn. Bhd has resulted in great opposition by the people of Kota Kinabalu. The collection of parking fees in Damai Points Commercial Centre is even more unreasonable as it is against the OCF issued by the DBKK. I urge the DBKK mayor, Kol Datuk Hj Abdul Ghani Bin Hj Abdul Rashid, whose term had been extended, to retract this unreasonable order as a first step to revive the image and reputation of the DBKK.   (19/5/2003) * Teresa Kok Suh Sim, MP for Seputeh and Sabah DAP Liason Chief