KOTA KINABALU : Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties and the opposition joined hands in praising the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) for the arrest of four people, including a National Registration Department (NRD) officer, in connection with irregularities in the issuance of MyKads in Sabah.

Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) and United Pasok Momogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation (UPKO) leaders said the arrests validated claims made by them in Parliament and the Senate all along and that calling for a Royal Commission of Inquiry into one of Sabah's most shameful episodes.

They were commenting on Wednesday's arrest of a senior NRD officer and three civilians on suspicion of selling ICs to foreigners at RM18,000 apiece.

The syndicate had been kept under surveillance by the ACA since last year.

Upko Sec-Gen and Tuaran MP Datuk Wilfred Madius Tangau again called for a Royal Commission of Inquiry to investigate the matter. "The finding by the ACA has proven our suspicions that there are moles inside the NRD," he said.

Tangau said as far as Upko was concerned this is just the tip of the iceberg.

"Why? Because we have proven in terms of figures the extraordinary increase in the population of Sabah. And nobody, the Economic Planning Unit (EPU), NRD, Statistics Department if you ask, will ever be able to come up with the same figure."

In this instance he said the party's stance on the matter has also been very clear. "Two Filipinos openly admitted securing or being given ICs. What happened to them? Till now nobody knows. (In) another case, Sepanggar MP Datuk Eric Majimbun brought up in Parliament, somebody by the name of Jerome Majimbun in Kg Pomotodon, the same as his kampung (village) but (Eric) said he doesn't have any brothers by that name. So who is issuing these ICs?

Tangau said it was therefore better do a proper enquiry, stressing that it was not a question of pointing fingers. "What we want to know now is how the issuance of ICs which is supposed to be of 'high security' can be falsified. How come it's so easy?

"Even a simple 'video clip' on alleged corruption involving the judiciary warranted a commission of inquiry, why shouldn't there be one for this?"

PBS Sec-Gen Datuk Radin Malleh said PBS believed the arrest was only the tip of the iceberg as the problems run deep into the system with potentially thousands of genuine MyKads having been illegally issued to non-citizens for a fee.

"The arrest confirmed PBS' lingering suspicions on the involvement of NRD officials in the MyKad scams and the party wants NRD officials at district level to be investigated and the guilty ones arrested and punished," he said.

He said syndicates were paying high fees for genuine MyKads issued through the NRD to be sold to illegal immigrants at exorbitant prices.

Towards this end, PBS thanked the Prime Minister for acting on the BN's promise to help rid the State of illegals and fake IC scams.

Radin who is Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister cautioned against complacency.

Upko Vice President Senator Maijol Mahap said selling the MyKad was not just a crime but treason to the nation.

"I can't help but wonder why in the first place it could happen? Is the system in the NRD so fragile that any insider could just do such thing?" he asked.

"We have heard and seen this happening before and now it has happened again. We can only conclude that it is happening all the time."

Maijol also asked what would happen to all the MyKads that had been issued illegally and fallen into the hands of foreigners.

"Can NRD guarantee that they could be confiscated or revoked?" Are there other syndicates operating in Sabah besides those arrested? How long were they in "the business" and how many ICs have been issued all this while?" he asked.

Maijol said it was disheartening to know that while the government was in pursuit of a good delivery system in the civil service such criminals who abuse their powers still exist.

DAP Tamparuli chairman, Edward Ewol Mujie, said it was a shocking piece of news. Mujie who is in-charge of the Election Commission and NRD matters for Sabah DAP wants both the EC and NRD to screen the Electoral Rolls one more time in view of the latest development.

"We believe there are many such people involved and who are eligible to vote in the coming election," he said, adding the people should also look into the Electoral Rolls to identify dubious people in their respective kampung and constituencies.

According to him, since DAP launched the KDM Declaration much positive response had been received, particularly on the issue of foreigners obtaining MyKads that affected the KDM community most.

"We must stand up to protect our constitutional rights in Sabah and Malaysia, and not allow any illegal foreigner to come to take away our rights É who knows, one day, there may even be a Chief Minister coming from their group," he said.

SAPP Luyang Assemblywoman Melanie Chia Chui Ket saluted the ACA success. "I am shocked to learn that the syndicate has been selling these at such a high price. For 21 MyKads, they would have illegally earned a total of RM378,000. Nobody should 'sell' the State and country this way.

"All law enforcement personnel are responsible for safeguarding national sovereignty, instead of betraying and undermining the country," she said.

She is in favour of heavier penalties for the culprits to act as a deterrent, saying the minimum jail term of 14 days is too light. "Given the severity of the offence, we advocate the maximum jail term of 20 years or even life imprisonment."

Meanwhile, Chia praised two locals, a sister and a brother from Kota Marudu, who rejected outright an offer by certain quarters to sell MyKads to them.

"The duo are red IC holders as they have no birth certificates to prove their place of birth. I am handling their cases now. They told me they are genuine Malaysians, so why should they 'buy' MyKads.

"Many others are in the same boatÉborn here but their parents had failed to register their births when they were young. People are still coming to me with such woes."

The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Wanita Movement expressed relief that the key culprits have been roped in. Its Chief, Datin Naomi Chong Set Mui said the treacherous act has been plaguing Sabah for decades with no end in sight.

"We (LDP Wanita) think Latifah has been doing a good job since her transfer to Sabah two years ago. We hope she and her team will continue to make arrests as many other traitors are still at large," she said, adding we must purge Sabah of such perpetrators.

Naomi also called for severe penalties to be imposed on those convicted of treason to reflect the seriousness of their crime.

Consumer Association of Sabah and Labuan (Cash) proposed that a re-registration of all the people in the State be held to ascertain who are genuinely Malaysians as well as to detect false or dubious Identification Card (IC) holders.

Its President Datuk Patrick Sindu said the move was now needed in view of the revelation by Sabah ACA Director Latifah Md Yatim on Friday that a syndicate selling Malaysian Identity Card (IC) operating in the State had been busted.

"Only God knows how many ICs have already been sold to foreigners," said Sindu, adding the latest saga suggested "there may be several high-ranking NRD officers involved".

He said the people of Sabah have lost their confidence in the NRD.