SABAH HERO OR TURNCOAT? Salleh the first senior state Umno leader to defend RCI as vindicating BN

KUALA LUMPUR ― A royal commission’s conclusion that there was no politically-driven “Projek IC” in Sabah exonerates Barisan Nasional (BN) of the alleged conspiracy to offer illegal immigrants citizenships for votes, senior Umno leader Datuk Seri Salleh Said Keruak has said.

Salleh said claims surrounding "Projek IC" should no longer arise, pointing out that the Royal Commission of Inquiry’s (RCI) report released Wednesday showed the identity documents were issued by corrupt officials of their own accord.

"RCI panels asserted beyond reasonable doubt that these irresponsible acts were committed by syndicates or individuals who were greedy.

"Meaning it clears BN leaders of any wrongdoings with regard to Project IC. We should respect the findings of the RCI," the Sabah Umno deputy liaison chief told Malay Mail Online when contacted yesterday.

When asked about lingering suspicions over the report’s conclusion on the alleged conspiracy, Salleh pointed out that no witnesses during the public inquiry had directly accused the ruling BN coalition of conducting "Projek IC".

Salleh said the RCI hearings were done in a transparently and openly, and that the public should not second-guess the wisdom and integrity of its commissioners.

"More than 100 people gave their statements, not even one mentioned BN as the culprit or the responsible party for the Project IC. As (the) saying goes, 'A person is innocent until proven guilty'," said Salleh, who is also the Speaker of the Sabah state assembly.

He also told Malay Mail Online that the government is serious about tackling the problem of illegal immigrants and allegations that foreigners in Sabah were issued documentation for political gain.

In a statement yesterday, Salleh expressed hopes that the culprits said to be involved in illegally issuing ICs to foreigners would be brought to justice.

Salleh noted the illegal immigrant problem in Sabah could not be solved overnight, but said the state Cabinet's call for "drastic" action provides a glimpse of hope to the ending of the decades-old saga.

Among other things, the RCI panel found reason to believe that the controversial "Projek IC" may have existed, based on testimonies from several witnesses during its hearing last year.

But it concluded that the scheme was perpetrated by syndicates working together with corrupt officials in government agencies for monetary gain, rather than a politically motivated to entrench BN’s position in the state government.

“Projek IC” is said to be responsible for the abnormal spike in Sabah’s population, where foreigners comprise nearly 30 per cent of the state's 3.12 million-strong populace. - Malay Mail