Press Release by Dato’ Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail
KEADILAN Sabah
Parti Keadilan Rakyat wants the Home Ministry to speedily investigate businessman-cum-former ISA detainee Datu Mohd Akjan Ali Muhammad, who was recently proclaimed the new Sultan of Sulu.
Its President Dato’ Seri Dr Wan Azizah Ismail said Sunday, the matter was of great urgency as it involved national sovereignty and security.
“There should not be any cover-up on the case, which would be tantamount to practicing ‘double standards’ on the part of the Malaysian Government.
“The Home Ministry must not compromise on national sovereignty and security but take appropriate action as soon as possible if Akjan has violated the law,” she said in a statement, here.
Dr Wan Azizah was commenting on Deputy Home Minister Datuk Wira Abu Seman’s recent statement in Sabah that the Home Ministry would investigate Akjan whether he contravenes the law and poses a security threat to the nation.
Abu Seman was quoted as saying that the issue of citizenship (of Akjan) did not arise as far as the Home Ministry was concerned.
“He has a Malaysian citizenship, then he is a Malaysian,” he had said.
In response, Dr Wan Azizah said it sounded superficial as Akjan is said to possess dual citizenship. How can a person be Malaysian citizen and at the same time the installed as the reigning Sultan of the Sulu of Sultanate right at our back yard ie Likas, Sabah? The people of Sabah and all Malaysian for that matter have the right to know the truth”. Said Dato’ Seri Wan Azizah, who is also the interim chairperson of the KEADILAN Sabah Presidential Council.
“Furthermore, it was reported that he is listed in Mutalib M.D.’s book (IC Palsu) as someone holding a fake IC. And this is of public knowledge among Malaysians and the authorities in Sabah.
“If that is true, the case warrants deeper investigation. Do not bypass the issue at hand. Under the circumstances, the Home Ministry must seriously delve into the matter and make known its findings,” she
pointed out.
At this juncture, Dr Wan Azizah said it was a joke of the year for Home Minister, Datuk Hishammuddin Tun Hussein to say there was no Project IC.
“Project IC is a household word in Malaysia, especially in Sabah, where some foreigners have openly declared that they obtained their ICs through Project IC.
“So, is the Minister concerned trying to play blind and dumb over the issue?” she asked.
Web portal Sabah Kini reported the self-proclaimed “interim government of the Sulu Sultanate” as claiming that Akjan was a direct descendant of the last reigning Sultan of Sultan, Paduka Mahasari Maulana Al-Marhum Sultan Shariful-Hashim.
It is also the third such claim to be made by competing groups within the last two months alone.
The “Prime Minister” of the interim government, Datu Albi Ahmad Julkarnain, announced that Akjan was ceremonially installed as the 33rd reigning Sultan of the Sulu Sultanate on Feb 2, 2011 after taking his oath of allegiance in a private ceremony at Kg Likas, Kota Kinabalu in Sabah.
