NO NEED TO SUBPOENA ME: HARRIS

KOTA KINABALU: Former Chief Minister Tan Sri Harris Salleh said it is not necessary to serve a subpoena on him to appear before the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on illegal immigrants in Sabah when it begins hearings.

"I confirm that I will attend at any time, at any place to give evidence and information on the issue of illegals. There is no need to serve a subpoena on me, it is hoped that those people will lower their blood pressure after reading this statement," he said.

"First of all, it must be emphasised and stressed that the power of granting citizenship and issuing identity cards are vested with the Federal Government under the constitution and law", he said, in the statement, Monday.

This power, he said is now vested with the Ministry of Home Affairs and under the Constitution, the Federal Government can grant citizenship to anyone at anytime even after a few days of arrival, if it deems that person is of national interest.

"This is very clear and written in black and white. Thus, the most any person can do is to help make an application and make recommendation for those eligible to apply for either a permanent stay or citizenship," he said.

"Secondly, if my memory serves me right, it is the policy of the Federal Government since the late 1960s or early 1970s that anybody who is eligible to become citizen would be entertained and granted.

"This is particularly true to the refugees from Indo-China and later Philippines. The late Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra, Malaysia's first Prime Minister announced publicly and openly, the policy that the Federal Government would accept and take Muslim refugees from Myanmar and that non-Muslims could go to Australia, Europe or USA.

"Tunku made this announcement when there were tens of thousands of Myanmar Rohingya refugees coming to Malaysia. It is expected that most of these refugees are now citizens.

"Tunku Abdul Rahman said very clearly in no uncertain terms that those refugees, who are Muslim can stay in Malaysia and would be granted citizenship. This policy is still valid today as the present Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak just a year ago signed an agreement with Australia on a refugee swap with Muslim refugees in Australia coming to Malaysia and non-Muslims going to Australia," he said.

Harris said thus, over the years out of the few hundred thousand Philippine refugees in Sabah, some were issued with IMM13 to allow them to stay in Malaysia, and they must have been