PETALING JAYA: MCA has urged voters to use the Kimanis by-election as a referendum against the Sabah Temporary Pass (PSS) that will be implemented in the state beginning June this year.
Its Wanita national chairperson Datuk Heng Seai Kie said it was pertinent that Kimanis’ constituents vote for Barisan Nasional’s (BN) candidate Datuk Mohamad Alamin as a sign of protest against the ruling government’s policy, and to defend Sabah’s sovereignty.
She said should Parti Warisan Sabah’s (Warisan) candidate Datuk Karim Bujang triumph in the polls, efforts to prevent the state government from implementing PSS would be futile, and that this would alter the landscape of Sabah’s demography.
“I call all Kimanis voters to use this by-election as a referendum on the PSS policy, and through the ballot slip in their hand, speak up for all Sabahans who are Malaysian citizens, to protest and reject the PSS.
“Defend the dignity of Sabahans and the sovereignty of Sabah,” she said in a statement today.
The issue of PSS has been a hot topic played up by the opposition in its bid to secure a victory in the Kimanis by-election on Jan 18.
PSS is a single high-security card that will replace the IMM13 (Immigration Department), Burung Burung card (Chief Minister’s Department) and Census certificate (Federal Special Task Force), that are currently issued to inland foreigners residing in Sabah.
Home Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had previously said the PSS would be implemented to better manage foreign nationals residing in the state, and ensure more effective enforcement due to the availability of centralised and standardised.
However, Heng believed that implementing the PSS was a no brainer disaster for Sabah, and that a Warisan victory would send the wrong message to the federal and state government that the people were in favour of the pass.
“Once this policy is implemented, there will be long term and permanent dire consequences for the future generation of local Sabahans where ultimately Sabah’s sovereignty may just fall into the hands of ‘non-original’ Sabahans,” she said.
