KOTA KINABALU – Sabah’s sudden spike in its number of voters is no surprise and parties complaining about the matter should have acted earlier, said the United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (Upko).
Upko secretary-general Nelson W. Angang said parties now expressing alarm over the latest increase in voters such as Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), Sabah STAR, Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) and Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) should have foreseen the problem way before the implementation of Undi18 laws to lower the voting age from 21 to 18.
This is because Sabah has had the long-standing problem of illegal immigrants with Malaysian identification cards who voted in elections, as found by a royal commission of inquiry on illegal immigrants in Sabah 2012.
The problem, dubbed “Project IC” in the 1990s, involved the issuing of identity cards to illegal immigrants.
“These leaders making noise now did not do their homework before and failed to highlight and address this issue earlier,” Angang said in a statement today.
Angang said Upko has been a lone voice speaking on this issue, while PBS, Sabah STAR, PBRS, and SAPP did not support its demands for the National Registration Department and the Election Commission (EC) to first ensure that those to be registered as voters under Undi18 laws and through automatic voter registration are genuine Malaysians.
Those parties could have done more as they are part of the government, he added.
“How can you claim to lead and champion Sabah rights when you lacked prudence in foreseeing this problem before?” Angang asked.
He was responding to PBS, Sabah STAR, PBRS, and SAPP’s leaders’ statements recently questioning the huge increase in voters.
Sabah Star president and Keningau incumbent MP Datuk Seri Jeffrey Kitingan said his constituency’s voters have increased by over 70%, alleging the electoral roll may be tainted with dubious voters given the size of the increment.
PBS meanwhile, has told its division leaders to scrutinise the electoral roll, calling the surge in voters suspicious.
Angang said Upko has been persistent in highlighting the need to recognise and acknowledge that there are four categories of migrants in Sabah – illegal immigrants, refugees, stateless persons, and those who obtained Malaysian identification cards by dubious means.
“The root of the huge sudden increase of new voters in the electoral roll could possibly lie with the fourth category. Therefore, it is pertinent that each of the categories is acknowledged before workable and effective solutions can be found,” he said. –The Vibes, October 20, 2022
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