"WHAT IRKED UPKO MEMBERS IS THAT WHY IS AKJAN SO ADAMANT IN OPPOSING THE RCI? COULD HE BE ONE OF THE BENEFICIARIES OF THE 'PROJECT IC'?"

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Akjan's attempt a threat to harmony, says Upko

Keningau Jan 03, 2012: Pekida Sabah Chairman Datu Akjan Ali Muhammad's so-called concern for peace and harmony is just a ploy to dupe the authorities from setting up a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) to investigate the long-standing illegal immigrant and "Project IC" issues in Sabah, said Upko Supreme Council member Suip Saniman.

Suip, who is also Upko Keningau divisional committee member, said: "Akjan's attempt to invoke religious sentiment and making use of religious organisation to oppose the setting up of the RCI is in itself a threat to peace and harmony in our multi-religious society."

"If indeed Akjan is concerned about peace and harmony in the country, he should stop playing with religious sentiments even if he is opposed to the RCI," he said.

Suip said Upko urged the security authorities, especially the police, to investigate if Akjan's statement has in anyway led to religious disharmony in the country, especially Sabah.

"Upko is very concerned with repeated statements by Akjan because of his religious sentiment-laced opposition to the RCI," he said.

"His opposition to the RCI is unwarranted.

"What is ironical is that Akjan talks as if he is the spokesperson of the Government, making more members of the public asking who is actually this man called Akjan?" he said.

Suip added that in as far as Upko is concerned, the "Project IC" is the mother of all problems in Sabah and no one should feel threatened by the implementation of the RCI.

"Once the RCI is set up people like Akjan can be a witness and make representations to the RCI and submit whatever evidence in his possession to refute the existence of the 'Project IC'.

"Akjan's explanation that 'babies are born every day' for the extraordinary increase in the population of Sabah is not only an insult to Malaysian citizens in the State but also making a mockery of the Federal Department of Statistics which conducts a population census every 10 years," he said.

He added that all Muslim members of Upko are 100 per cent behind the party leadership in asking the Government to establish the RCI.

"To us in Upko, the setting of the RCI has become the symbol of integrity in leadership," he said.

"In fact, to Upko, the RCI is the epitome of good governance."

He said there was no point in talking about good governance including the Government Transformation Programme (GTP), Economic Transformation Programme (ETP), the Political Transformation Programme (PTP) and now the Rural Transformation Programme (RTP) until and unless the epitome of good governance is implemented, which is the RCI on the long-standing illegal immigrant and "Project IC" issues.

He said too many questions have been raised by members of the public ever since the publication of the written judgement by Justice Datuk Muhammad Kamil Awang on the Likas Election Petition 1999.

"And those questions warrant and merit the setting up of the RCI.

"It is a fact and public knowledge that the Federal Cabinet, the BN Supreme Council and the Sabah State Cabinet have not deliberated nor decided whether to proceed or not to proceed with the proposed Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) into the long-standing illegal immigrants and 'Project IC' issues in Sabah," he said.

"Therefore, the question of BN leaders objecting to the setting up of the RCI does not arise at all."

Suip added that the only member of the Federal Cabinet who has expressed objection to the RCI was Home Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein.

"To Upko, that is the personal stand of Datuk Hishammuddin because we know for a fact that the RCI has never been presented and deliberated in the Federal Cabinet.

"Our President Tan Sri Bernard Dompok who is a member of the Federal Cabinet has never participated or consulted on such a stand.

Therefore, there is no stand yet from Federal BN Leaders.

"All we have is a stand by the Minister of Home Affairs and he is entitled to his view and stand.

However, for as long as the Federal and Sabah State Cabinet have not made their stand, it is our opinion that, Federal BN Leaders have not made their stand and, therefore, AkJan so-called respect for the stand of Federal BN Leaders is superfluous," he said.

He said the fact is that all BN component parties in Sabah have agreed in a meeting that the RCI should be established. "What irked Upko members is that why is Akjan so adamant in opposing the RCI?

Could he be one of the beneficiaries of the 'Project IC'?" he asked.

To put to rest the issue, Suip urged Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman to announce the setting up of the RCI without further delay.