(9th May 2010- I read with amusement the NRD’s reply to my statement about how Illegals are overloading Sabah’s Health Services published in the Daily Express on 25th April 2010.)
I must thank the prompt reply given by the National Registration Department (NRD) Public Relation Officer, Pn Jainisah Mohd Noor, but unfortunately I cannot agree with her premise that No MyKads has ever been given to illegals.
I start by seeking clarification to the Home Ministry’s plans to legitimize the stay of 69,000 IMM13 holders by giving them MyKads, thereby according them not only Malaysian citizenship but the Identity code of “12″ which means they were born in Sabah, although they were born in a foreign country and also automatically giving them the status of Bumiputras with all the inherent benefits.
This said our home minister, Datuk Hishammudin Tun Hussien is for humanitarian grounds. So what is to happen to our bona fide stateless locals who were born in Sabah or have stayed in Sabah more than 40 years that do not have MyKads? Many have been applying for MyKads countless times. Are they not deserving of being considered under humanitarian grounds or only IMM13 holders fall under the definition of humans?
Another point of contention is what happened to the 20 points agreement agreed upon on Sabah (North Borneo) formed Malaysia with Malaya, Singapore and Sarawak that was to safeguard Sabah’s immigration rights. It seems that the 20 points agreement has been conveniently forgotten in this regard.
These 69,000 IMM13 holders are only the tip of the iceberg of a bigger problem lurking below the surface which is that of the hundreds of thousands of illegals in their many colonies throughout the state.
I dare anyone to deny “Project IC” in the 1990s where ICs and subsequently MyKads were issued to illegal immigrants. Also similar mass immigration and naturalization of migrants in the 1970s under the USNO government, and in the early 1980s under Berjaya government.
There are the thousands of illegal immigrants on the electoral rolls because the NRD did not confirm that their MyKad was bogus or not. The case of Hassnar Ebrahim, the Sandakan district chief who confessed being intimately involved in Project IC. The court case to nullify the 1999 election results of Datuk Yong Teck Lee in The state constituency of Likas, due to the presence of thousands of illegal immigrants on the electoral rolls.
The case of Salman Majid who had a MyKad but no evidence of being born in Sabah and its political implications. The UMNO division leaders who are illegal immigrants holding MyKads. And many more cases.
Coming back to my statement that Sabah’s Health services are overloaded by illegals or illegals with MyKads, It is the State Health Department that should have responded to my claim if what I have said is not correct, not the NRD.
Economically, Illegals or Pendatang Tanpa Izin (PTI) owe so much money to especially the major hospitals eg. QEH, Hospital Tawau, Hospital Lahad Datu, Hospital Keningau etc, that the many millions of unpaid bills had to be written off.
The wards in the major hospitals are also catering for large numbers of illegals, who invariably will not pay for their expensive treatments.
Public health nurses spent a large amount of their time chasing after PTIs who refuse to seek proper antenatal care, even when our nurses go to their squatter colonies.
These pregnant mothers will attempt home delivery and when birth complications like post-natal hemorrhage occur, they are rushed to the nearest hospitals hoping for miracles.
Many PTIs will only seek treatment when in critical conditions (like birth complications), after their illness has been neglected for a long time and will be brought in late. This is a burden on the hospital in terms of human resources (like doctors and nurses), expensive and scarce equipment like ventilators, specialised procedures, surgery or medications.
All this makes the treatment of such PTI who utilizes our emergency and intensive care units very expensive. Many a time (speaking from experience) our locals find themselves deprived of life-saving intensive care machines like ventilators which on investigation was occupied by PTI.
Sabah also has the dubious honor of having high incidences of Maternal mortality, Infant and disease rates which can be attributed somewhat to the attitude of this PTI who are generally uneducated, breed like rabbits, refuse vaccinations for their children, live in unhygienic conditions and only seek treatment when at a critical stage.
The overloading of Sabah’s health services is just a part of the problem caused by this illegals with or without MyKads.
The PTI MyKad holders and their paperless and stateless cousins are also undeniably blamed for the many socio-economic and criminal ills plaguing us today.
Many locals fear the day when we will be in the minority and become disenfranchised. As PTIs attain MyKads and voting powers, they will control the government and change the political landscape and trend forever.
I wish the relevant authorities and politicians will take this matter seriously, do some serious soul searching and not try to sweep it under the carpet or cover up.
It is time for a Royal Commission of Inquiry on the matter of illegal immigrants with or without MyKads.
Please Save Sabah, Save Malaysia.
- Dr Felix Chong Kat Fah. Chairman, Sabah DAP Medical and Health Advisory Bureau.