SABAH Indian Muslim Chambers
of Commerce and Industries (DPPIMS) President, Datuk Baisul Khan denied he ever
helped Indian immigrants to obtain Statutory Declarations by falsely stating
that they were born in Sabah, in order to qualify for IC.
Baisul, who was the 60th
witness, said he had never done so and that he also did not have any close
connection with the Immigration Department and National Registration Department
(NRD).
On allegations that many
Indian immigrants in Sabah forged their identification through such SDs in
order to obtain identification cards, he said he was not sure about this.
Baisul, who was born in
India in 1945, said his parents being Malaysian brought him back to Malaysia in
1947. He admitted that members of the Chamber had identity cards but that he
had no idea as to how they obtained them.
To a question from
Conducting Officer, Jamil Aripin, Baisul who came to Sabah in 1970 as a teacher
at St John's secondary school in Tuaran, said the members had valid identity
cards.
"To become a member of
our chamber, there are four criteria namely, they should be Malaysian, be 21
years and above, must have a trading licence and must be Malaysians of Indian
origin.
"I am not concerned
with the numbers on the members' identity card as long as they have a Malaysian
identity card," he said, adding that there are currently 300 members.
Baisul who obtained
Permanent Resident status in Sabah in 1976, six years after he applied for it,
also denied allegations that he converted Hindus from India and through the
chambers these members would be given identity cards.
He also said that the
allegation made in Mutalib's M.D book 'IC Palsu' that he as a Chamber President
had used the chambers as a platform for Indian immigrant recruits who then will
be registered as members so that they can obtain Malaysian citizenship, was not
true.
Baisul said he made a police
report against these allegations and personally met with the State Police
Commissioner.
According to Baisul, as
president of the chambers he submits the names of members to the Registrar of
Societies (ROS) every two years.
Baisul who is married to a
local woman from Ranau, agreed with Jamil that there are many employers in
Sabah hiring illegal immigrants because the organisations find it hard to get
local workers.
He said the illegal
immigrants are coming to Sabah because it is easy to cari makan (find job) as
Sabah lacks labourers, especially in the plantation sector, because the locals
are not interested to work in the plantations or restaurants.
Thus, Sabahans are forced to
employ illegal immigrants, he said. (DE)
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