An Indian national testified before the royal commission of inquiry on Sabah immigrants today that he obtained a blue identity card from the National Registration Department (NRD) without providing any supporting document.

Nasir Yusof, who arrived in Sabah in 1982 using an Indian passport, said he heard by word of mouth that the government was giving out blue identity cards to foreigners at the Kota Marudu NRD office.

Responding to conducting officer Jamil Aripin, Nasir said in 1988, he and more than a 100 fellow Indian nationals went in lorries to the Kota Marudu NRD office.

Jamil:

Nasir: I heard that the government was giving out awards (blue ICs)

Jamil: How did you know this?

Nasir: I heard from my friends.

Jamil: What supporting documents did you use?

Nasir: None.

Jamil: Not even a statutory declaration?

Nasir: No.

Jamil: Did you have a birth certificate?

Nasir: No.

Nasir received his blue identity card within two months of his application. His prior documentation was only an Indian passport.

As to whether Nasir's countrymen, with whom he went to apply for the blue identity cards, received theirs or not was not raised.

Nasir said he did not know where the information about the “mass registration” for blue identity card had originated from.

The blue identity card issued to him stated that he was born in Tuaran. It carried a number, with the state code ‘12’, which refers to a local born Sabahan.

He said it was a Kota Marudu NRD officer who decided for him his place of birth.

"When he filled it, he asked me if I was okay with having my birthplace stated as Tuaran. I said okay, because I know the place," Nasir said.

'Voted three times'

He said he registered as a voter in 1990 and has since voted three times, the last time in the parliamentary constituency of Sepanggar.

Nasir now runs a business handling work permits for Indian nationals coming to Sabah.

"There are about 20 employers who are my customers. I handle about two to three work passes for each of them... I charge RM100 per person," he said.

Asked if he was aware that he was being implicated on the Internet for getting blue identity cards for other Indian nationals, Nasir described the allegation as "100 percent defamation".

"I am a member of the Sabah Malaysian Muslim Indian Congress. I made enemies, which is why they are doing this. My business is also affected," he said.

Jamil also grilled Nasir on whether he knew anyone in the Sabah Immigration Department from his handling of the work permits, who could be called to testify, but Nasir insisted that he did not know anybody.

A total of 12 witnesses took the stand today. To date, a total of 49 witnesses have testified since the RCI began the first session of its hearing from Jan 14 to Jan 18.

This second session of hearing, which began yesterday, will conclude on Feb 1.

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