KOTA KINABALU : The Federal Government is said to have approved the setting up of a Royal Commission of Inquiry into Sabah's long-standing illegal immigrants problem.

While senior Sabah leaders in the Cabinet declined to disclose the decision concerning the setting up of the RCI, they indicated that there were some positive developments on the issue.

The RCI - which has been called for by all Sabah Barisan Nasional parties and the Opposition - has become a key issue as Sabahans perceived that many foreigners had gained Malaysian citizenship through dubious means and were on the voter rolls.

Parti UPKO president Tan Sri Bernard Dompok said: “All I can say is that it (RCI) has been discussed at the Cabinet, the rest we leave it to the Prime Minister to say.”

Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk V.K. Liew in a Facebook posting said: “Confirmed guys, RCI is on, now working on the terms and conditions.''

When contacted, Liew, who is Liberal Democratic Party president, said his ministry that oversees Law and Parliamentary Affairs, would look into the terms and reference and other related matters with the Attorney-General's chambers.

All eight Sabah Barisan parties, including Sabah Umno, Parti Upko and Parti Bersatu Sabah, have supported the setting up of the RCI to help examine and resolve the illegal immigrant problem that has been dubbed as the “mother of all problems'' facing Sabah.

Among the issues about the illegal immigrant problem was abnormal growth of Sabah's population over the last two decades.

Sumber : TheStar