DR CHONG'S CONSCIENCE IS CLEAR

OPPOSITION politician, Dr Chong Eng Leong yesterday said his involvement in highlighting the illegal immigrants, Project IC and phantom voters in Sabah is neither for him nor Datuk Herbert Timbun Lagadan and Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

“It is for the future generations of Sabah, particularly,” he pointed out when responding to a statement by Herbert, published in the Borneo Post recently.

Chong asked Herbert whether or not he had read the four books by Mutalib M.D (IC Palsu Merampas Hak Anak Sabah, Pengundi Disewa, IC Projek – Agenda Tersembunyi Mahathir and 007-Lelaki Malaysia Terakhir).

“People implicated in them were many, but not Anwar. The contents are always the same, of course, before and after I left PBS.

“The trial of Likas 1999 election petition exposing the background on how foreigners were issued Malaysian ICs and registered in Sabah’s electoral roll had Datuk Radin Malleh, Hassnar Ibrahim and Mutalib M.D called as key witnesses, and many important names were mentioned but not Anwar Ibrahim,” he stressed.

Chong said the certified 1998 Sabah Electoral Roll used for 1999 elections had more than 80,000 phantom voters with particular old IC serial numbers as detected by PBS.

After the Likas election petition trial, about 80,000 names were expunged from the Sabah electoral roll, but only 20,000 of them were ICs listed as phantom voters, he recalled.

And 6,400 of these 20,000 were re-registered in the Sabah 2002 certified roll, all without new IC numbers but using old Sabah IC numbers only, Chong contended.

Chong said the latest Sabah electoral roll has 883,000 voters and 70,000 of them are with the known particular old IC serial numbers which can be detected and located easily.

“Other estimated undetected phantom voters in the current Sabah electoral roll are around 130,000.

“I researched into Sabah’s population since 1950 and documented its extra-ordinary increase which was in fact due to foreigners, and unrealistic/unnatural increase in Sabah Bumiputra.

“Based on this finding, I prepared on behalf of PBS a memorandum to SUHAKAM in 2004 on infringement of this huge influx of foreigners on the rights of Sabah, but sadly PBS refused, fearing of being accused of back-stabbing BN again.”

Chong said he submitted it nevertheless as a concerned citizen.

There was a Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) on National Unity formed in 2005 and Chong wanted to represent PBS to submit a paper on illegal immigrants/Project IC/phantom voters in Sabah, but he was refused.

“I submitted it anyway as a concerned citizen,” he said.

He said likewise in 2006 when there was a PSC on Integrity he participated and submitted again, as a concerned citizen, a report with similar contents.

Chong said he had tried in many ways when he was in PBS to highlight Sabah’s predicament regarding these illegal immigrants/Project IC/phantom voters but to no avail.

“How to explain to our children and grandchildren if Sabah were no longer within Malaysia? My conscience is clear. How about yours Datuk Herbert Timbun? Chong asked. (theborneopost)