Warisan has issued three letters of demand and cease and desist notices to several individuals accused of spreading defamatory statements linking the party and its president, Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal, to the issuance of identification and citizenship documents to illegal immigrants (Pendatang Tanpa Izin, PTI).

Supreme Council member Chen Ket Chuin noted the letters were sent on April 7 and 8, 2025 to three individuals, but refused to name any of them. 

“As of today, three letters of demand cum cease and desist have been issued against individuals who have been spreading defamatory statements about our party and its leadership. 

“If these individuals fail to retract their statements and offer a public apology after receiving these letters within seven days, writs of summons will follow and will be issued against them in due course,” he said in a statement issued in Kota Kinabalu on Wednesday. 

Chen emphasized that Warisan has never been involved in issuing identification or citizenship documents to illegal immigrants. 

The party has no inclination toward assisting PTI. We must make this clear once and for all,” he said. 

He further clarified that no Chief Minister of Sabah, including Shafie during his tenure, has the authority to issue such documents. 

“The power to do so resides solely with the federal government, particularly the National Registration Department and the Ministry of Home Affairs (KDN). 

“Recently, the department has issued an official statement affirming this position, clarifying that no influence or interference, regardless of any instructions or minutes, can be exerted by any party, including the Chief Minister of Sabah,” Chen said. 

Addressing the broader issue of undocumented individuals in Sabah, Chen highlighted the socio-economic challenges that contribute to the problem. 

“The lack of documentation is often due to various factors, such as logistical challenges and poor road conditions preventing families from registering births in a timely manner. 

“In some cases, parents do not have marriage certificates, further complicating the process of registering their children. 

“These issues are rooted in socio-economic conditions, and we must be compassionate in addressing them, not politicizing them for personal or political gain,” he said. 

Chen defended Shafie’s efforts to assist local individuals lacking proper documentation. 

“As a former Chief Minister, what is so wrong in Datuk Seri Shafie helping local boys and girls who lack full documentation and have been deprived of citizenship solely because of their inability to register due to lack of documentation? 

“We were trying to help the locals, not the PTI. The defamatory statement claiming that ‘Shafie and PTI cannot be separated’ is categorically false, malicious, and baseless,” he said. 

He called on the current government to disclose similar support letters issued by the present Chief Minister to assist genuine Malaysians of Sabah origin who have been deprived of documents. 

“I urge the government to expose how many similar ‘Support Letters’ have been issued by the current Chief Minister towards the application of MyKAS or similar to help genuine Malaysians of Sabah Origin who have been deprived of Documents to-date. Nothing is wrong here,” he said. 

Chen concluded by urging political parties to refrain from exploiting these issues for political gain, adding that the issue can never be resolved if we continue to politicize them. 

“It is time to focus on real solutions, not on spreading divisive and misleading rhetoric,” he said. – April 9, 2025