MP shares surname, address with Filipino

Sabah Progressive Party (Sapp) parliamentarian Eric Majimbun got a rude shock recently when he discovered that he shared the same surname and address in a MyKad allegedly belonging to a Filipino illegal immigrant.

The two men are not related nor do they know each other.

According to a Sapp statement, the questionable identity card carries the name Jerome Majimbon with the address of Kampung Pomotodon, Jalan Kionsom, Inanam.

In Sabah, people are regarded as having the same surname despite slight variations in spelling.

Majimbun said he does not have any relative with such a name and the people in Kampung Pomotodon are unaware of the existence of a ‘Jerome Majimbon' in his village.

And it came to an even greater shock for Majimbun when he learned that the man in question was a Filipino illegal immigrant whose real name is Jerom Maguil.

The Sapp MP wants answers from the Home Ministry and the National Registration Department (NRD) on how the man had obtained the identity card, or MyKad, bearing the number 560930-12-5739.

He added that he had written to the Home Ministry secretary-general but has yet to receive a reply.

The parliamentarian did not reveal how he came to know about the questionable MyKad.

Majimbun cited his own case to support his contention that the issuance of dubious MyKads in Sabah was widespread.

He said that one of his constituents was relegated to permanent resident status despite being born in Sabah long before the state joined the Federation of Malaysia.

"How is it possible that a Malaysian who has been here for years is denied a MyKad and citizenship and yet there are many cases of foreigners who obtain MyKads through dubious means?"

He urged the government to set up an independent body to investigate the issue of such questionable MyKad holders.

Probe Dramatic Hike In Sabah's Population

Majimbun said there were many complaints regarding discrepancies in the issuance of MyKad by the NRD in the past, but nothing was done to fix the problem.

According to the MP, the problem had been going on for more than 30 years.

"We should have a computerised monitoring system but, since it is too late now, we should start at the beginning."

Although it had been suggested that a royal commission to probe the matter would be a good idea, this had been rejected by the government.

"We have the Sabah Registration of Births and Deaths Ordinance 1953 which states that all late registrations have to be done in court proceedings through a first-class magistrate," said Majimbun. "But has this really been done?"

The peeved parliamentarian reiterated his call for a probe into the whopping 285 percent growth in population in Sabah over 30 years.

He said according to the 1970-2000 census, the population in Sabah increased from 636,431 to 2,449,389 (285 percent), compared to Sarawak's 106 percent (from 976,269 to 2,012,616) and Peninsular Malaysia's 113 percent (from 10,439,430 to 22,202,614).

Majimbun, who is Sapp deputy president and MP for Sepanggar, is one of the party's two MPs who have left the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition.

He heads the party's foreigners and MyKad issues bureau.