KOTA KINABALU - Sabah police turned away over 100 so-called dual citizenship holders believed to be from the Philippines who were apparently coming to the state to vote in the election today.
The group tried to enter Sabah through Sandakan via two junks and two speedboats but “they immediately turned around and left when they saw our boats”, Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Hazani Ghazali told The Vibes.
Malaysia does not allow dual citizenship as per Article 24 of the Federal Constitution which states that any citizen who has acquired citizenship of another country may be deprived of Malaysian citizenship.
At a press conference in Papar earlier on the matter, Hazani said the police were not denying the group their right to vote but wanted them to enter Sabah using legal entry points.
“By right, they should have used the legal routes to come into the state and subject themselves to a health check.
“But they chose to come illegally, and we had to stop them,” he said.
He added they were also turned away as a precaution to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
Previously Hazani said that police had information that foreigners would attempt to enter Sabah in droves to disrupt today’s state election. - The Vibes, September 26, 2020