Sabah PKR to form special bureau to help government resolve undocumented children issue

The new Sabah PKR leadership committee.

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah PKR has formed a special committee to address issues pertaining to citizenship amid the controversy over the Palau and Bajau Laut communities.

Its information chief Razeef Rakimin said the issue of nationality among undocumented children or students was among the items discussed during the state PKR leadership meeting.

He said the state party leadership, now led by newly-minted chief Datuk Mustapha Sakmud, also agreed to appoint former Putatan MP Awang Husaini Sahari as citizenship bureau chairman to look into the related issues.

“The formation of this bureau is not aimed at citizenship naturalisation but instead to help the government, through the Home Ministry and state government, to resolve documentation problems that have long haunted Sabahans,” he said, in a statement late Saturday (June 29).

He said Sabah PKR was also of the opinion that Mustapha, who is the Deputy Higher Education Minister, should be included in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 Implementation Action Council (MTPMA63) technical committee.

Razeef said Sabah PKR had carried out a party restructuring following Mustapha’s appointment as its chief.

“This is a priority for the party in order to solidify its organisation.

“Sabah PKR has also planned several programmes including a state convention that is scheduled on Aug 4,” he said.

Sabah PKR, he added, will send its machinery to help out the Pakatan Harapan candidate in the Sungai Bakap by-election as well.

Seven new state leadership committee members were appointed in the meeting namely Ahmad Farid Sainuri, Lim Fui Keong, Roger Stimin, Hugo Lean Yung Kwang, Jamir Bajide, Rubiah Onga and Ramlan Naim.