MyKads dished out to immigrants?

KUALA LUMPUR: A large number of foreigners were allegedly being given Malaysian citizenship, and subsequently voting rights, PAS claimed today.

Kubang Kerian MP Salahuddin Ayub said that nearly 240 foreigners – Indonesians and Bangladeshis – were ferried by bus from Johor to Putrajaya yesterday.

“It is very suspicious… the registration of foreigners as citizens,” he told reporters at the Parliament lobby here.

Salahuddin said that six buses from Johor had stopped in front of the Putrajaya mosque, before making their way to a resort in nearby Kampung Bukit Dugang.

“Almost all the passengers (who got down at the resort) were Indonesians and Bangladeshis… adult males and females… from their faces, dialects and language,” he said.

Vehicles belonging to government agencies were also allegedly seen escorting the buses, including police patrols from Sepang and those from the Senai (Johor) Health Department.

“Some of the officers were seen and were suspected of helping these foreigners,” he said.

Salahuddin was citing a recent Malaysiakini report, stating that PAS members, along with some locals, came across a purported attempt to grant Malaysian citizenship to 240 permanent residents.

PAS Youth treasurer Mohd Adram Musa, who was present at today’s press conference, told reporters that party members were prevented from meeting the alleged foreigners.

The online portal also said that National Registration Department (NRD) officers were present at the resort.

‘Syndicate giving ICs’

Today, Adram said that some of the Indonesians, when questioned, revealed that they were there to receive MyKad identification cards.

“The Indonesians there said that they were there to be given ICs. That was clear… this proves that there is a syndicate that gives ICs (to foreigners) and registering them as voters,” he added.

Adram said this matter was nothing new, adding that he was informed by Paya Jaras PAS members that something similar was going on there.

Concerned about the matter, PAS then demanded an explanation from Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein.

The PAS members present today said this incident, though serious, was not a new development.

FMT previously reported similar incidents happening throughout the country.

Earlier this month, PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu claimed that 186,000 foreign-born individuals were discovered as registered voters in the Election Commission’s Selangor voters list.

At the time, Mohamad said that 170,818 of these people did not declare their nationality in code 71 of the electoral registration.

Back in February, a pro-Opposition blogger accused Umno of recruiting foreigners in order to forment a Barisan Nasional (BN) victory in the next general election, especially in Selangor.

At the time, Abdul Rahman Abdul Talib, also known as Tulang Besi, claimed that he was informed of the matter by Umno insiders.

He alleged that immigrants may be used to tip the scales in BN’s favour in the coming national polls.