Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) president Maximus Ongkili has claimed that a Barisan Nasional component party had given identification cards (ICs) to undocumented migrants in exchange for their votes.
Ongkili, who is also Sabah and Sarawak affairs minister, did not name the party or state when this was allegedly done.
However, he said the party’s involvement in using undocumented migrants for its own political interests had been proven by the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on illegal immigrants in Sabah formed under the Najib Razak administration.
“I don’t need to say which BN party had used the ‘services’ of undocumented migrants. I think we are all well aware of the matter because that party’s involvement has been proven by the RCI.
“They abused their power by giving ICs to undocumented migrants to allow them to vote for them at general and state elections.
“This ‘stained’ the list of voters in Sabah,” he said in a speech at PBS’ annual general meeting.
Ongkili also said the previous BN government had failed to solve the problem of undocumented migrants in the state, accusing it of being nonchalant its repercussions.
He said BN, which PBS used to be a part of, did not have any concrete measures to solve the problem. He also admitted that his own party did not have a good track record on tackling the issue.
“I’m sorry to say this, but when we were under BN, the coalition had a very bad record in handling the undocumented migrants in Sabah.”
PBS used to be a part of BN but left after the coalition lost in the 14th general election (GE14). – FMT