KOTA KINABALU: A temporary halt on citizenship statuses gained through questionable methods, like statutory declarations (SD), could be a useful strategy to tackle this ongoing problem.
Former Petagas assemblyman Datuk James Ligunjang stressed the need for careful investigations in native or magistrate courts to determine the validity of these cases.
“This process would help separate true Sabah citizens from foreigners or illegal immigrants. “Success relies on a strong and clear collaboration between the Home Ministry and the State Government,” he mentioned in a recent social media post.
Commenting on former Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Salleh Said Keruak’s idea for original Sabahans to re-register their MyKad under state government control, he pointed out that this would also require approval from Parliament, which might face resistance from the Federal Government.
“It is not practical, as it would place an extra burden on genuine Sabahans to re-register for a new MyKad.
“Additionally, this approach does not address the issue of Malaysian citizenship obtained through questionable means, like late registrations via statutory declarations often issued by careless village leaders,” he added.
