Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal today rubbished opposition allegations that the state government was issuing MyKad to illegal immigrants in the state.

The Parti Warisan Sabah president said the identity cards were only issued to eligible individuals and not illegal immigrants.

"The opposition has always made allegations against the state government made up of Warisan, Pakatan Harapan and UPKO," he said to reporters after attending the ‘Chief Minister with the People’ programme here in Semporna.

Mohd Shafie said the state government tried to help those who did not have MyKad, for example the children of a foreign woman married to a local and then abandoned by the husband.

“We go by the law in addressing this problem and, in this case, we have the National Registration Department (NRD),” he said.

The chief minister was asked to comment on claims that Warisan had issued MyKad to illegal immigrants and that these allegations surfaced every time there was a fire in the state.

He said the state government only sought the assistance of NRD to help Malaysians who had lost their MyKad, for example, in a fire.

“At today’s programme, there were local couples without a marriage certificates and this made it difficult for their children to obtain the MyKad and so, we asked JPN (NRD) to help in accordance with the law,” he said.

On another matter, Mohd Shafie said the Sabah Water Department would be revamped and restructured into a more efficient and effective entity.

“We will undertake a revamp, including the vision of the department. We will rectify it so that the water department will not only supply water to the people but its revenue will come in useful for the people and the state,” he said.

- Bernama