KOTA KINABALU: Born in India, businessman Zainal Abidin Mohamad, who got his Malaysian identity card 26 years ago, had trouble naming the Chief Minister or Prime Minister.
He initially identified Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman only as "Musa."
When pressed by lawyer Datuk Ahmad Rahman for the chief minister's name in full, Zainal Abidin said "Musa Hitam." It drew laughter from the gallery at the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Sabah illegals.
Ahmad, who is keeping a watching brief for the Sabah Law Association, also asked Zainal Abidin to identify the Prime Minister, to which the latter said "Nazeem."
Zainal Abidin appeared to be flustered when asked by conducting officer Jamil Aripin whether he (Zainal) had obtained his Malaysian identity card through fraudulent means as he did not have a birth certificate or a citizenship certificate when applying for the document at the National Registration Department at Kota Belud in 1987.
The Tamil Nadu-born Zainal Abidin said he came from Madras to Penang in 1979 and entered the country as Bashir Mohamad and eventually ended up in Kota Belud where he worked in a coffee shop for three months before opening a textile business.
He now owns a restaurant and a textile shop in the city.
Zainal Abidin said he applied for an identity card several times between 1983 and 1987 but failed until he met another textile merchant named Ghani who brought him to Kota Belud NRD office to apply for the document using nothing more than a statutory declaration and RM100 payment.
Asked by Jamil what would he do if the Malaysian government were to revoke his identity card, Zainal Abidin said "I want to remain in this country."
Zainal Abidin also said he had voted in at least six occasions at the Likas state constituency.
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