Media Statement By Chen Ket Chuin, Warisan Supreme Council Member
KOTA KINABALU: In recent days, we have witnessed a troubling increase in defamation and the spread of misleading information regarding the malicious allegations of the issuance of identification and citizenship documents to illegal immigrants and/or foreigners (Pendatang Tanpa Izin, PTI) by Parti Warisan’s President, Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal, during his tenure as Chief Minister.
I wish to reiterate that while freedom of expression is a fundamental right, there is a clear distinction between exercising free speech and engaging in defamation and the dissemination of false, misleading information.
As of today, three letters of demand cum cease and desist have been issued against individuals who have been spreading defamatory statements about our party and its leadership.
These letters were sent on 7th and 8th April 2025. If these individuals fail to retract their statements and offer a public apology after receiving these letters within 7 days, writs of summons will follow and will be issued against them in due course. One of these individuals is a Chinese from Tawau.
Let me be absolutely clear: Party Warisan has never issued any identification or citizenship documents to any PTI. The party has no inclination toward assisting PTI.
We must make this clear once and for all. The letters that include minutes or instructions from Datuk Seri Shafie clearly do not refer to PTI applicants.
So, I urge everyone to stop politicising this issue.
It is also crucial to clarify that no Chief Minister of Sabah, or any state leader, has the authority to issue citizenship or identification documents.
The power to do so resides solely with the federal government, particularly the National Registration Department (JPN) and the Ministry of Home Affairs (KDN). Recently, JPN issued an official statement affirming this position, clarifying that no influence or interference, regardless of any instructions or minutes, can be exerted by any party, including the Chief Minister of Sabah.
This issue has been politicised for far too long. Every time an election approaches, false accusations are levied against Party Warisan in an attempt to tarnish its image.
The issue of people lacking documentation is not limited to one community but affects various races in Sabah, including both the Chinese and KDM communities. Having participated in an intensive training session on human rights law and litigation, organised by SUHAKAM, the Bar Council Human Rights Committee, and the Sabah Law Society in Papar a few months ago, I gained deeper insight into this complex issue of undocumented and stateless individuals, a matter that is deeply entrenched in our society.
Many of these individuals face severe hardships, unable to marry, work, drive, or even open a bank account due to their lack of proper documentation.
The lack of documentation is often due to various factors, such as logistical challenges and poor road conditions preventing families from registering births in a timely manner. In some cases, parents do not have marriage certificates, further complicating the process of registering their children. These issues are rooted in socio-economic conditions, and we must be compassionate in addressing them, not politicising them for personal or political gain.
As a former Chief Minister, what is so wrong with Datuk Seri Shafie helping local boys and girls who lack full documentation and have been deprived of citizenship solely because of their inability to register due to lack of documentation? We were trying to help the locals, not the PTI. So why attempt to link Datuk Seri Shafie with PTI?
The defamatory statement claiming that “Shafie and PTI cannot be separated” is categorically false, malicious, and baseless.
I urge the government to expose how many similar “support letters” have been issued by the current chief minister towards the application of MyKAS or similar to help genuine Malaysians of Sabah origin who have been deprived of documents to date.” Nothing is wrong here.
So, I ask: why are certain individuals or political parties continuing to exploit these issues for their own political benefit?
These issues will never be resolved if we continue to politicise them. It is time to focus on real solutions, not on spreading divisive and misleading rhetoric.
