‘Project IC’? I haven’t heard of it – Mahathir tells RCI

Witty as ever with occasional amnesia striking at the right time despite at the advanced age of 88, former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad displays his normal vintage-style today when testifying Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on Sabah’s illegal immigrants.

“I only heard about it recently,” said Mahathir when asked by conducting officer Manoj Kurup on whether he knew about Project IC.

To get Mahathir’s response on the subject, Manoj pointed out to the former that some had called the Project IC as Project Mahathir; however, the witty Mahathir did not budge.

“Thank you very much,” was Mahathir’s response to Manoj bringing laughter to court.

Mahathir also denied that he had given any instruction to former deputy home minister Megat Junid Megat Ayob, his former political secretary Aziz Shamsuddin and former Sabah chief minister Harris Salleh over the alleged Project IC.

The 209th witness in the RCI also blamed the wrong issuance of identity cards to foreigners in Sabah on low-ranking civil servants who failed to abide by his instruction and the law.

Nevertheless, Mahathir acknowledged that illegal immigrant problem in Sabah had reached a serious level.

He said the government has been active in deporting illegal immigrants but to no avail.

“They come back after a few days and slip into water villages where there are no authorities such as Immigration and the police,” he said. -HD