KOTA KINABALU: A question is now is being asked as to how some 40,000 people in Sabah have been identified and registered as “stateless natives” by the National Registration Department (NRD). 

Parti Bersatu Sabah president Datuk Joseph Pairin Kitingan wants a clarification by the NRD to explain who were these “stateless natives”.  

He said many people were confused over NRD’s use of a new term “stateless natives” as it raised concerns over non-Malaysians trying to get registered by the NRD. 

“Many people in Sabah are confused and want to know why there are so many 'stateless natives' registered when Parliament was told that there were only 22,000 stateless persons in Sabah,” Pairin said in his policy speech at the party’s 18th congress. 

“What is said to be a 'stateless native' is a new term that involves the citizenship rights, sovereignty and security of our nation,” he said, adding that the NRD must continue to act against foreigners holding genuine Malaysian identity cards. 

Pairin also called on the Election Commission to clean up the electoral rolls of “phantom voters” by adopting better mechanism to check on non-citizens using questionable Malaysian identity cards to vote. 

Pairin, who was returned unopposed as party president for the seventh term at the congress, in his 90-minute speech touched on various issues pertaining to education, economy, social and terrorism. 

Later speaking to reporters, he said that PBS was against the two-year Sabah chief minister rotation system as they felt it was against the state constitution – unless changes were made to it. 

However, he said, the rotation issue would be discussed among Barisan component parties so as to come out with a proper formula that would be accepted by the people.