KOTA KINABALU: A witness told the Royal Commission of Inquiry on illegal immigrants in Sabah that local Suluks were worried that speaking their mother tongue in public may lead to them being labelled as terrorists following the recent armed intrusion by Sulu militans in Lahad Datu.
Mahat Ismail, a 65-year-old businessman from Tawau, said he himself did not favour seeing too many immigrants in Sabah but no one should be prejudiced and discriminated based on their ethnic.
“This is not good and unfair to us local Suluks,” he told the panel when asked about his take on the bloody incident.
Racial sentiments aside, Mahat said all Sabahans should support the effort to probe and resolve the alleged unlawful issuance of citizenship to immigrants in the state.
“I think stern action should be taken especially against those involved in issuing them (dubious identification cards),” he said.
Mahat made an interesting witness in the RCI investigation into issues surrounding the issuance of documents in Sabah, having been living for over 30 years with a ‘no name’ stated on his birth certificate.
This happened after the officer in charge of documenting his birth had put the word in the name column instead of just leaving it blank after his father forgot to tell the officer his name.
“But this problem was later sorted out and I hope the authorities can also sort out the dubious IC issues in Sabah,” he said.
Another witness, Ismail Juhari also a local Suluk from Tawau, told the Commission that he had witnessed an incident in his hometown where hundreds of immigrants lining up to vote in the election were arrested.
However, without naming any names, he said the immigrants were later bailed out by a certain politician.
“But I cannot say who the politician is or else I will be murdered later,” he said, drawing laughter in the court room.