What about ‘Projek IC' holders, Sabah MIC Chief?
Published on: Sunday, May 25, 2025
Published on: Sun, May 25, 2025 Text Size: I must thank Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun, State Minister of Finance, for introducing the automatic personal accident insurance scheme to cover all 2.7 million Sabahans aged 30 days to 80 years whose MyKid or MyKad carries Sabah State codes 12, 47, 48, 49, effective from May 1 this year for 3 years. Are Malaysians with the above codes truly Sabahans? Activist-cum-surgeon Dr Chong Eng Leong rightly pointed out that there are Sabahans whose MyKad are coded differently – your DE report on 21 May 2025. But he did not mention that there are hundreds of thousands of Project IC citizens whose MyKad are coded 12. His recent book entitled 'Population Explosion and Demographic Shift in Sabah', with much reference to the 2013 Royal Commission of Inquiry on Immigrants (RCI) in Sabah, reveals that there were more than 120,000 blue old ICs with numbers H0xxxxxx issued to foreigners. Most of them used Sijil Akuan stating that the owner is Sabah-born, thus citizen by operation of law. Their MyKad are coded 12.
Advertisement Additionally, his book also reveals that there were 300,000 late registrations of birth by year 1992, and 740,381 by year 2006. But, they did not have inquiry by the Magistrate Court as stipulated under the Birth and Death Ordinance Cap. 123 of Sabah which is still valid by today. With these unendorsed birth certificates as evidence, some of them were issued the blue old ICs, but many were issued the Bunga Raya blue ICs with 12-digits numbers. The Sabah RCI disclosed that by year 2012, from the late registration of birth, there were 139,010 blue ICs issued by operation of law, and 7,810 blue ICs issued by application for citizenship. These estimated 250,000 Project IC citizens whose MyKad are coded 12 – are they Sabahans? One of them is the current Sabah MIC (Malaysia Indian Congress) Chief, appointed a board member of Sawit Kinabalu, a Sabah government-linked company. He was Sabah RCI witness No. 116. (There were 22 immigrants who were issued blue old ICs by operation of law called to be witnesses in the Sabah RCI). In early 2022, former PBS President Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili called on the relevant authorities to carry out a background check on this Sabah MIC Chief. At the same time, Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji promised to investigate the citizenship of this immigrant-turned-Malaysian, but nothing come out of it. Can Masidi or the Sabah State government please clarify if these Project IC citizens are truly Sabahans? Curious The views expressed here are the views of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of the Daily Express. If you have something to share, write to us at: [email protected]
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Borneo Post
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Published on: Sunday, June 01, 2025 Published on: Sun, Jun 01, 2025 By: John Lo Text Size: Many Leaders Don't Appreciate Problems of Majority of Sabahans. Worse. Some are plain ignorant, couldn't careless or greedy and selfish.[1] Leaders from Malaya: Advertisement They fly in their private jets, others in business class [some with marauding and predatory businessmen in tow], welcomed at the airport, ushered into KKIA VIP lounge, given VIPs treatment by subservient Sabahans. Chauffeur driven in expensive limousine or Lexus 4x4. Can't feel the bumps and potholes on the bad roads. Expensive five star meals. Give rousing speeches, promises of pie in the sky with their sleek tongues, but with little relevance to the plights of Sabahans. VIP send offs at KKIA VIP lounge. Wave good-byes to their Sabah macai. All the promises in their speeches to Sabahans forgotten before they enter their planes. Next time, don't listen to their words. Watch their body language. To them, Sabah is only a small piece of their political jigsaw, not 1/3 partner of Malaysia, that needs to be controlled and owned for their national political strategy and to fuel their personal national political ambitions. To them, Sabah political leaders are like tea bags, needed when useful, after use, dust bin in they go. Ask yourselves, how many leaders from Malaya did really care for Sabahans? Look at the poverty in Sabah, the huge disparity of development in Sabah and Malaya. Sabah would have been developed if only the Federal Government has devoted 10pc of fund and efforts that it has poured into Selangor for Sabah. There lies your answer. Any 'naughty' Sabah leaders, especially 'branch managers' of Malayan parties, would be cast off swiftly. This has been ongoing since MA63. Can Sabahans blame them? No. They have their own political base, state and federal political ambitions to worry! Blame our leaders who have boxed themselves and Sabah into this unenviable rat-hole, all because they have failed their duties to Sabahans. They have downgraded Sabah's position to inconsequence and irrelevance politically and economically. To the Malayan leaders, how important is Sabah in comparison with other states? Very unimportant for a simple reason, Sabah leaders can be 'sorted' out easily, submissive and undemanding. Reflections of these are on the shabby treatments, among many others, in the allocation of development fund and total lack of representation in Federal agencies and GLCs for Sabah. For that, Sabahans have suffered for it for decades. [2] Very Few Sabah leaders can stand up to Malayan leaders. Rare. Very few. Not enough of them! Most Sabah Leaders are no match compared with Leaders from Malaya. Sabah has too many light weight political leaders. There is a giant vacuum, a very severe shortage of statesmanship among Sabah leaders. Urgently required: 'Sabah for Sabahans' Leaders with Quality. Are there such leaders? Very, very few! How many leaders are expounding their economic ideas to make our lives better in the coming election? Our only hope is that the 2025 election will bless us with a few more. What Leadership Qualities Sabah must have? [1] Decent, Principled, Upright, Assertive with Wisdom and Pragmatism, Able to Command Respect from Malayan Leaders in Federal Government. Example? As a matter of principle, Rafizi has just resigned as Economy Minister. He has refused to cling on to power. No Sabah equivalent. [2] Appreciative of economic plights of Sabahans from the B40, rural farmers, fishermen and young families whose meagre incomes are being eroded by incessant inflation at an alarming speed. How many care Sabah children are walking through mud and rain on empty stomachs to schools? [3] In depth understanding of Sabah's deep-rooted and long outstanding economic malaises, especially the loss of economic ownership to non-Sabahans. [4] Assertive leadership on 40% net revenue share, TSA 2012, MA63 Rights, equitable representation as 1/3 partner in all important Federal Agencies, GLCs, GLICs and Statutory Bodies. All these are Malaya centric. Equally important, Sabah must have a say in all important Federal Policies, especially monetary, fiscal, investment, industrialization. [5] Stop leakages. Tighten and expand collection of revenue: So much resources, so much poverty. This situation must be obvious to anyone who cares. Leakages from corruption, careless procurements, poor collection of taxes, senseless spending. A lot of potential revenue can be collected. Masidi is doing a good job in plugging many of these loopholes, hence the impressive increase of state revenue. This must continue. [6] Stop GLCs' massive Bleeding. Indifferent chairmen and directors, poor and bad governance have bled away billions. Hajiji and Masidi have initiated revamp with an oversight committee and appointed some good/qualified people in SMJ Energy, Sabah Energy, SOGDC, Sabah Credit, POIC LD. This will require extraordinary leadership quality with political courage to continue the revamp. Sorting out the GLCs will be equivalent to solving more than 50% of Sabah's economic problems. The GLCs, mostly not performing, are in all important economic sectors and have monopolies. Sabah's economy will be great if the GLCs can be transformed to perform. If each of the 250 GLCs, on average, can contribute Rm20m dividend, this will amount to RM5b to Sabah's revenue. If each GLC can generate 10 meaningful jobs for, it will come to 2,500. 100 will be 25,000! We can say good bye to unemployment. The multiplier effects will tremendous! Sabah will be great again. Absolutely possible 1: KPJ Hospital Group [Johor SEDCO] makes RM350m profit, has 15,000 employees. Its market capitalization of RM1.9b. How many Sabah's GLC can match KPJ's profits? Absolutely possible 2: Many Sabah's GLCs have many monopolies, free land, Sabah Government's backing and special concessions and approvals. But they must monetize all these advantages. Grow the Economy, Manage the Resources, Retain and Attract more investments. Sabah leaders must grow the economy as a top priority. Grow and expand the economy is the ultimate solution to solve Sabah perennial problems of infrastructures and unemployment. In trying to grow the Sabah's economy, Hajiji has laid the foundation for Sabah's economic restructure. Substantial progress so far, especially in oil/gas and manufacturing. He has also attracted RM58b investments. Deeply saddening that a very tiny number of leaders, up to now, have shared their ideas on growing the economy, managing Sabah's resources for Sabahans, retain investment already in Sabah and attract more investment. Steering the Sabah's economy onto a growth path will be very challenging in the very uncertain global, multipolar world. Both World Bank and IMF have downgraded global growth. Malaysia too. Sabah will be impacted. No escape. Good economic leadership can minimize these impacts. Give a Strong Madate to the next Government. A weak government will mean stagnant economy and lots of uncertainties. Worse, it will be subject to manipulations and instability. There may be more blackmails or attempts to overthrow of our government. Unlikely that a weak government can undertake or continue the economic transformation. Sabahans must give a strong mandate to the next government to solve all the perennial problems in Sabah, claims of MA63 rights from Federal Government and tackle global uncertainties. My Appeal to Leaders of all major Sabah Parties. Reduce fighting, focus your energy and plans on how you will manage Sabah's economy. Sabahans deserve better deals from the Federal Government, better lives, more job and investment opportunities and most of all a more secured future. We don't want leaders only good with empty promises. We need statesmen who are well versed in economic management and who can deliver a better future for all Sabahans. Last and most important, Sabah must have leaders who can stand tall with Federal leaders, maintain a respectful and collaborative relationship.
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How many in the Parliament are progressive and anxious to get a leader? Nice. In 2016, KJ was embroiled in a controversy surrounding a RM100 million scandal involving the Youth and Sports Ministry, where he was its minister. If the ministerial post was a certainty, would KJ make this bizarre statement that he is busy? Do you know anyone for the past 67 years who was too busy to accept a minister position? As for his remarkable qualities, they seem very common and routine for anyone working in the corporate world. Interesting? No. Milshah: Something appears to be not right. Umno should be a party where there is a good pool of educated and capable young leaders. What happened to all the educated and capable Umno leaders? I refer to another article related to the retirement age for politicians, where the young ones were supportive, but the old guard were against the idea. They (politicians) do not know when to quit and let the younger generation take over. They 'cantas' (get rid of, as in trimming a branch on a tree) potential leaders, or they do not give them opportunities to lead, as they see these young leaders as threats. I'm not talking about party central committees but division leaders as well. They want the position for life and will 'cantas' any young leaders who could take over from them. Then, when the party asks: Where are the young educated capable leaders? There is no one, comes the answer. Why? Because all of them have been 'cantas' already. FairPlay: What's so great about KJ? He is also an old wine in a new bottle, as the saying goes. He may not be as old as the others, but soon, he will fall into the group known as 'recycle'. There is no future (whatsoever) if the politics in the country keep rebranding old and recycled wine as new wine. We have 68 years of journey as a sovereign nation. Where is the nation today when compared with the tiny red dot south of the border? Headhunter: We thought he had crossed the Rubicon (point of no return) and had moved on. He is better off if he joins the likes of outgoing Economy Minister and ex-PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli, who recently resigned from his minister post. They can move to or form a new party. Umno is fundamentally rotten to the core, and nothing much can be done to revive it. The entrenched old dogs will not easily or willingly give up their lucrative positions and will not give him a free rein to 'kill their golden goose'. He will be seen as a threat, as history has shown. Furthermore, his past grassroots supporters have moved on to find new pastures. Coward: KJ is already in Umno. In fact, despite his sacking from Umno in January 2023, he has remained in the party. He has his flaws, but overall, he is one of the more capable and less tainted leaders in Umno. As such, his return to the government is probably good news instead of bad. KJ is definitely one, if not the only, candidate who will be chosen by an Umno leader who has the party's future. However, other undeserving and definitely way worse candidates will likely edge him out because they have the ears of Umno leaders. Umno leaders are also those who are known to prioritise themselves over the party. Winning Scarecrow: Khairy must enhance his Islamic credentials before making a comeback. Anwar needs leaders who can help him accomplish his goal of making Malaysia a great Islamic state. Young Malaysians have indicated in surveys that they prefer to have leaders with a strong Islamic background like Anwar, newly minted PKR deputy president Nurul Izzah Anwar, Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang and other leaders from PAS. We cannot find such leaders in Umno so far, so Khairy needs to prove that he is more Islamic than PAS leaders before being accepted again by Malaysians as their leader. The above is a selection of comments posted by Malaysiakini subscribers. Only paying subscribers can post comments. In the past year, Malaysiakinians have posted over 100,000 comments. Join the Malaysiakini community and help set the news agenda. Subscribe now. These comments are compiled to reflect the views of Malaysiakini subscribers on matters of public interest. Malaysiakini does not intend to represent these views as fact.
