Stringent probe as Tang’s documents contained contradicting information

TANG Koh Soon @ Tang Kuok Soon’s application for Permanent Resident (PR) status that Chong Chieng Jen (DAP-Kota Sentosa) brought up in the Dewan Undangan Negeri sitting on May 7 is still under investigation.

Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr George Chan said the Immigration Department needed to carry out extensive investigation on Tang’s application as it contained contradicting information.

“In the investigation process, it was discovered that documents contradicted with the fact of the case, and have raised some doubts,” he said when delivering his winding-up speech at the august house yesterday.

He said based on Tang’s birth certificate issued in Brunei on Feb 12, 1966, the citizenship of both his parents was ‘Chinese’. But when he submitted his application for PR, he certified that his mother was a Malaysian citizen of Sarawak origin and his father a permanent resident of Sarawak.

Dr Chan said that Tang Koh Soon @ Tang Kuok Soon was born at Brunei General Hospital on Sept 3, 1965.

His application for Malaysian citizenship was rejected by the National Registration Department on May 17, 2001, and was conveyed to him on Oct 8, 2001.

The rejection was re-conveyed to him on May 17, 2004, said Dr Chan, who is also Minister of Industrial Development.

“However, Tang also applied to the Immigration Department for a Permanent Resident status in 2002 to support his appeal for a Malaysian citizenship.”

Dr Chan said the right to control immigration of entry in Sarawak had been provided in Article 6 of the Malaysian Agreement as a special safeguard and as specified under Part VII of the Immigration Act.

“In this regard, there is a need to control and regulate the granting of Permanent Resident,” he added.

This was primarily because the granting of PR was sacrosanct and once granted could not be revoked. Therefore, stringent and thorough investigation must be carried out so that only genuine cases were being considered, he said.