RCI: Dr Mahathir denies

RCI: Dr Mahathir denies

Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today said he had never heard of Project IC until recently nor had he ever issued any orders related to the indiscriminate issuance of identity cards to illegal immigrants in Sabah.

"I never knew about Project IC until recently," Mahathir testified before the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI)in Kota Kinabalu on illegal immigrants in Sabah, claiming that he was not bothered that his name had been used, saying his name was used everywhere and he had been called a racist and an ultra.

"I have never been bothered about these things," he said, adding that he had never given any instructions to former Sabah chief minister Tan Sri Harris Salleh or any individual with reference to the issuance of identity cards to illegal immigrants.

However he said the issuance was to be done in accordance with the law and not through illegal process.
The former prime minister testified before the panel led by former chief judge Sabah and Sarawak Tan Sri Steve Shim Lip Kong. 
  To a question whether he knew about Project IC, Mahathir said he had just recently heard about it, adding he had no idea about Project Mahathir.
  On the presence of illegal immigrants in Sabah, he said it was nothing new as people from neighbouring countries had been coming in and out of the state even before Malaysia was established.
  "If they have been staying for more than 10 years than they are entitled to be given a citizenship and this is provided by the law."
  He also said that it was up to the existing or future government to accept or reject those who had been given citizenship status through illegal process.
  Mahathir said it was not the government policy to simply issue an identity card but added there were officers who might have failed to abide to his instruction and the law.

On August 16, a former aide to Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has denied claims linking him to Project IC - an operation to issue identity cards to foreigners in Sabah.

Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Shamsuddin, who once served as Rural and Regional Development Minister, also denied owning a house in Kampung Pandan in Kuala Lumpur where the identity cards were processed.

Yakup had told the RCI that he was instructed by the then Sabah NRD director Datuk Abdul Rauf Sani to fly to Kuala Lumpur and sign thousands of forms at the Kampung Pandan house used by Shamsuddin, then Dr Mahathir's political secretary.

On the existence of a task force involving himself and former Deputy Home Minister Datuk Megat Junid Megat Ayob, Aziz said: "I was never involved in any operation. I want to clear my name from such accusations.”

He said he became aware of his name being linked to Projek IC after his son read news reports about the RCI coverage.