The National Registration Department has clarified that no letter, instruction, or political endorsement — no matter how high up it comes from — can override federal procedures in the issuance of identity documents like MyKAS, MyPR, or MyKad.
But for some Sabahans, particularly the damage may already be done.
The statement comes amid the viral spread of two support letters allegedly signed by then Chief Minister Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal in 2019.
One of them bore a handwritten instruction — “Sukacita dapat diluluskan” (Gladly approved) — which is now being portrayed as more than just a recommendation.
The full statement from the National Registration Department.
Supporters say the phrase was a common endorsement. Critics say it reads like a political greenlight to approve identity documents — something the state government has no legal authority to issue.
The fallout is unfolding rapidly, with indigenous youth group KDCA Youth Council among the first to demand answers. Its chairman Steve Johnny Mositun called the endorsements troubling.
“This isn’t about whether the Chief Minister can approve citizenship — we know he can’t,” he said. “This is about why a Chief Minister is even minuting instructions on ID applications.”
The National Registration Department confirmed on Monday that all applications are evaluated solely based on existing laws under the National Registration Regulations 1990, and that no support letter, regardless of who signs it, guarantees approval.
Still, in Sabah — where citizenship, politics, and memory remain tightly bound — the anxiety runs deeper than legal definitions.
At the heart of the current unease lies the spectre of Project IC, a decades-old scandal alleging the systematic granting of Malaysian identity cards to thousands of undocumented individuals in Sabah in exchange for electoral support.
The controversy, though never conclusively resolved, continues to shape public trust in government processes to this day.
And the timing of these latest revelations is no accident. The leaked letters are now being weaponised — just as the state inches toward another electoral showdown.
“This issue is about perception,” said Mositun. “Sabah was burned once. We can’t let that fire be reignited through political backdoors.”
Even if legally unfounded, the worry is that MyKAS — a temporary identity card for those with indeterminate citizenship — could be seen as the first step in a quiet pathway to full citizenship: first MyPR, then MyKad.
The National Registration Department, in its latest statement, stressed that no such automatic progression exists. Each step requires strict vetting, background checks, and federal approval. MyKAS holders, they said, have no citizenship benefits and face a long, uncertain process before any upgrade in status.
Former Chief Minister Shafie Apdal has yet to publicly respond to the controversy, but his party Warisan has pushed back hard.
Information chief Datuk Azis Jamman told BorneoVox previously that “the Chief Minister has no power to issue ICs,” and warned against “politically motivated misinformation.”
Yet it’s not the first time Warisan has faced public outrage over immigration documentation.
In 2020, the party’s now-abandoned proposal to introduce the Sabah Temporary Pass (PSS) was met with fierce resistance, particularly from KDM-based parties.
The policy, which aimed to consolidate existing immigrant documentation, was painted by opponents as a backdoor route to legalising undocumented migrants.
The uproar forced Warisan to scrap the plan — but not before it inflicted significant political damage.
Now, history may be repeating itself — and the language of bureaucracy is once again a political flashpoint.
KDCA Youth is calling for full transparency: How many such applications were supported between 2018 and 2020? Were the proper checks followed? And more urgently, were laws bent under political pressure?
“The younger generation deserves the truth,” Mositun said. “We need to know what those letters really meant.”
For many in Sabah, this is no longer a debate about procedure — but about legitimacy, trust, and political accountability.
The National Registration Department has reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, saying all approvals are based on stringent vetting, not political influence. – April 7, 2025
‘Sukacita Dapat Diluluskan’ — A handwritten note, viral letter, and an explosive political flashpoint
