KOTA KINABALU, Sept 12- Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad Wednesday affirmed that he had never given any instruction on the issuing of identity cards (ICs) to illegal immigrants in Sabah during his tenure as the fourth Malaysian prime minister.
Testifying before the Royal Commission of Inquiry, in Kota Kinabalu, to investigate the problem of illegal immigrants in Sabah, Dr Mahathir repeatedly stressed that the issuing of ICs to the illegal immigrants was done in accordance with Malaysian law and the Federal Constitution.
Questioned by conducting officer Manoj Kurup, Dr Mahathir, who was prime minister for 22 years from 1981 until 2003, also denied that he had any knowledge about the so-called ‘Project IC’ or ‘Project Mahathir’ in Sabah, which allegedly granted citizenship to illegal immigrants.
Manoj: Did you at anytime when holding office as prime minister and home minister give any directive to issue ICs to the illegal immigrants?
Dr Mahathir: No, I did not. The issuing of ICs to the illegal immigrants was done in accordance with the Federal Constitution and the law in Malaysia.
Manoj: There were complaints that some illegal immigrants who came to Sabah and unqualified as citizens, were given ICs by the authorities at that time through a so-called project ‘Project IC’. Do you have any knowledge of this?
Dr Mahathir: I only heard of ‘Project IC’ recently. Before this, I never knew of this ‘Project IC’.
Manoj: Some people called it ‘Project Mahathir’. Do you know that?
“Oh, thank you very much for calling the project under my name,” the former premier said, drawing laughter from people in the courtroom.
“I heard my name had been used everywhere for many things. They called me racist, ultra but I’m never bothered. It’s part of my political life,” said Dr Mahathir.
Dr Mahathir, who is the 209th witness in the inquiry, also denied that he gave any instruction or authorisation to the then Sabah chief minister Tan Sri Harris Salleh with regard to the issuance of ICs to illegal immigrants.
He said the government’s policy while he was the prime minister was to award citizenship to illegal immigrants who were qualified and had stayed in Sabah for a long time.
Clad in a grey suit with a purple shirt and maroon tie, Dr Mahathir who camly answered questions posed to him, said that the government awarded the citizenship to them (illegal immigrants) through the normal procedure, which was in accordance with the law and that there was no instruction needed for that.
Questioned further by Manoj that earlier witnesses had said that the then deputy home minister Tan Sri Megat Junid Megat Ayub and Dr Mahathir’s former political secretary Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Shamsuddin claimed the instruction came from him, Dr Mahathir replied: “No instruction from me.”
Manoj: In carrying out the government’s policy, do you find during your time that your instruction had been misinterpreted? Dr Mahathir: It was often misinterpreted by staff, sometimes during the post-cabinet meetings.
Manoj: If you knew this (instruction) was not followed or was against the rules and regulations, what would you do?
Dr Mahathir: If I got to know about it, I would have an inquiry.
When he was referred to a book written by Dr Chong Eng Leong, Dr Mahathir said he just had glanced the book but never had a chance to read the whole content of the book.
“It is a very good academic study, but I don’t know how the conclusion was made that the ‘Project IC’ was from my directive,” he said.
Manoj: But this book has repeatedly said that Dr Mahathir had given the instruction.
Dr Mahathir: I realised that if people used my name, the book sells very well.
Referring to the content of the book, Dr Mahathir dismissed the allegation that Megat Junid who chaired a meeting had said that he (Dr Mahathir) had approved the issuance of ICs to the illegal immigrants, saying, “I don’t know anything about it.”
Dr Mahathir, who is the 209th witness in the inquiry, denied that he gave any instruction or authorisation to the then Sabah chief minister Tan Sri Harris Salleh with regard to the issuance of ICs to illegal immigrants.
He said the government’s policy while he was the prime minister was to award citizenship to illegal immigrants who were qualified and had stayed in Sabah for a long time.
-BERNAMA
