'Identity cards sold to Sabah illegal immigrants was purely for monetary gains'

KOTA KINABALU: The National Registration Department officers involved in issuing Malaysian identity cards to illegal immigrants in Sabah in the 1990s through dubious means did so purely for monetary gains and not for political reasons.

Senior Special Branch officer Supt Ahmad Fauzan Mohamad told the Royal Commission of Inquiry on illegal immigrants that the identity cards were sold to the illegal immigrants for between RM50 and RM1,400 each.

 

He said based on investigation and research, those involved in the scam made an estimated RM11 million from selling the identity cards.

 

Ahmad Fauzan, the 57th witness at the hearing which resumed yesterday after a three week break, was involved in a police operation between 1995 and 2001 to investigate the alleged issuance of identity cards to illegal immigrants in Sabah.

 

"It was obvious that the motive was purely monetary gains," he said.

 

He also testified that 94 people, including 24 Sabah NRD officers, were arrested under the Internal Security Act (ISA) between 1995 and 2001 for their involvement in the syndicate.

 

The detention orders for 80 of the 94 people were signed by then deputy home minister the late Tan Sri Megat Junid Megat Ayub.

 

Questioned by conducting officer Manoj Kurup on the breakdown of arrest, Ahmad Fauzan said 40 were arrested in 1995, 19 in 1996, 26 in 1997, eight in 1998 and one in 2001.

 

Two former Sabah NRD directors, Datuk Abdul Rauf Sani and Ramli Kamaruddin, were among the NRD officers detained.

 

Ahmad Fauzan, who is from the security and documents forgery division in Kuala Lumpur, said the operation of the syndicate was well-organised.

 

"Our investigation and research revealed that there were also agents from the public and sub-agents involved in issuing and selling the identity cards,” he told the five-member RCI panel headed by former Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Tan Sri Steve Shim Lip Kiong.

 

Ahmad Fauzan, who conducted a research and assessment on the syndicate, noted that the syndicate’s operations had threatened national security because it involved the issuance of citizenship to foreigners through dubious means.

 

"What the syndicate did encourages human trafficking of foreigners whose background is not known to us. They may be criminals and a threat to social and political stability," he said, adding that 3,035 foreigners had been charged in court by other enforcement agencies for having in their possession forged identity cards.

 

Principal assistant director information technology division of the NRD headquarters in Kuala Lumpur Laila Abdul Majid told the panel that the department had over the years taken various measures to improve quality and security features of identity cards.

 

Stringent checks were also conducted on identity card applications to ensure that only genuine Malaysians were granted the document.

 

The NRD had also established an Agency Link-up System (ALIS) to allow it to share personal details of identity card holders stored in its database with relevant government departments and agencies, such as the Election Commission and the police.

Read more: 'Identity cards sold to Sabah illegal immigrants was purely for monetary gains' - Latest - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/latest/identity-cards-sold-to-sabah-illegal-immigrants-was-purely-for-monetary-gains-1.223047#ixzz2OtPUvThe