By Daniel John Jambun, Borneo’s Plight in Malaysia Foundation (BoPiMaFo)
KOTA KINABALU: Borneo’s Plight in Malaysia Foundation (BoPiMaFo) strongly rebukes the statement by Jeffery Nor Mohamed claiming that the majority of Pulau Gaya residents are “locals” because they possess identification cards (ICs).
Let us be absolutely clear:
This is not clarification.
This is dangerous misrepresentation.
1. AN IC DOES NOT AUTOMATICALLY MEAN LAWFUL CITIZENSHIP
To suggest that possession of an IC proves legitimacy is to fundamentally mislead the public.
An IC is merely:
a document of registration
an administrative outcome
It is not conclusive proof that citizenship was lawfully granted.
The real and unavoidable question is:
How were those ICs obtained?
If obtained through unlawful or irregular processes — then the IC itself is compromised.
2. PROJECT IC DESTROYS THIS ENTIRE ARGUMENT
Sabah has lived through one of the most serious constitutional and demographic scandals in Malaysian history — widely known as Project IC.
The Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) has already exposed:
systemic irregularities in the issuance of citizenship documents
politically motivated naturalisation processes
the existence of individuals granted ICs without proper legal qualification
In this context, to claim:
“They have ICs, therefore they are locals”
is not analysis.
It is wilful blindness.
3. EVEN THE STATEMENT ITSELF ADMITS ILLEGAL PRESENCE
The same narrative acknowledges that there are still undocumented individuals in Pulau Gaya.
This creates a direct contradiction:
If undocumented persons still exist → enforcement has failed
If IC holders exist → their legitimacy must be scrutinised
You cannot:
admit the presence of illegality
and simultaneously declare the situation resolved
This is not logic.
This is damage control disguised as reassurance.
4. THIS IS NOT ABOUT NUMBERS — THIS IS ABOUT LEGITIMACY
BoPiMaFo rejects the attempt to reduce this issue into a numbers game.
This is not about:
majority vs minority
locals vs PTI
This is about a far more serious question:
Who are lawfully entitled citizens — and who were regularised through unlawful means?
Until that question is answered transparently, any claim of “majority locals” is premature and misleading.
5. SABAHANS DEMAND TRUTH — NOT STATISTICAL COMFORT STORIES
Sabahans are not naïve.
We understand the difference between:
legal citizenship
and administratively granted identity
We demand:
a full audit of citizenship records in Sabah
transparency in the issuance of ICs
full and uncompromising implementation of the RCI recommendations
6. STOP SANITISING A STRUCTURAL INJUSTICE
BoPiMaFo warns that statements such as those made by Jeffery Nor Mohamed risk normalising a long-standing structural injustice.
Let us state this without ambiguity:
An illegally issued IC does not convert an illegal immigrant into a lawful citizen.
It merely institutionalises the illegality.
CONCLUSION: SABAH WILL NOT BE SILENCED BY MISLEADING NARRATIVES
This is not a matter that can be resolved through public relations statements.
This is a constitutional issue.
A governance issue.
A matter of justice for Sabah.
BoPiMaFo calls on all authorities and public officials:
Stop reducing a serious structural problem into simplistic narratives.
Stop misleading the public.
Start addressing the truth.
Because Sabahans are no longer asking:
“How many have ICs?”
Sabahans are asking:
“Which of those ICs are lawful?”
