Dr M: "In Football And Elections... Don't Cheat!!" – But Wait, What About “Project IC” Sabah?

OPINION | Dr M: "In Football And Elections... Don't Cheat!!" – But Wait, What About “Project IC” Sabah?


16 Oct 2025 • 3:30 PM MYT

JK Joseph
Repentant ex-banker who believes in truth, compassion and some humour

Credit Image: The Malaysian Reserve (file pic) / BH Online (FOTO OSMAN ADNAN) Photos strictly for illustration only.



Didn't one of the “most treasonous crime” commited in the country - where up to 100,000 blue identity cards and 200,000 birth certificates were “illegally” issued to foreigners (immigrants) - happen under the watch of a famous “ex-prime minister?”


Never one to remain silent each time a new controversy hits the country, two-time ex-premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad has alleged that somebody “'powerful operating above the law" may be behind the alleged fabrication of documents for foreign players in the latest sporting scandal to shake the soccer-mad nation.


Not mentioning names, he went on to warn: if we want to win elections… or football games, let it be done properly. – don't cheat; the still “mentally sharp” ex-UMNO president was expressing his displeasure at the embarrassing saga where seven foreign football players were allegedly “naturalised” under questionable circumstances to enable them to represent the national team, fondly known as “Harimau Malaya.”


Meanwhile, one of the prime movers of football in the country Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim aka TMJ has begged to differ; in fact, he seemed to have directed his fury at FIFA instead, demanding why the latter had fined FAM now after clearing them earlier; the powerful, popular Johor prince also went on to urge Malaysians not to be afraid and bow to those who may be worried about the resurgence of the national football team.


Ironically, to some, this latest scandal involving the dubious naturalization of foreign footballers, would have evoked painful memories of the infamous “Project IC” in Sabah -- a major covert naturalisation programme undertaken during Dr Mahathir's first tenure as prime minister; this clandestine project was found to have illegally granted citizenship en masse to large numbers of migrants from neighbouring countries!


(Note: The report had stated that current PM Anwar Ibrahim was never officially implicated in the scandal)

Credit image: Sabahkini2.com dated 5 July 2022.


In fact, in 2022, the ex-chief minister of Sabah Joseph Pairin Kitingan had reportedly alleged that Dr Mahathir was the “mastermind” behind the shameful scandal in the state.


Pairin had further stressed that a Royal Commission of Enquiry (RCI) held in 2014 had proven beyond doubt that it was part of a “political strategy” implemented under Dr Mahathir's watch; and according to him, the objective then was to bring down the PBS-led state government which was perceived to be a Christian party.


Wasn't that a clear case of cheating to win an election?


Interestingly, earlier in 2018, Donald Mojuntin, the chief of Upko (once a prominent political party in Sabah) had also admitted that it was an “open secret” that the scandalous “Project IC” plot was hatched by Dr Mahathir's administration in the mid-1980s; he had further alluded to the fact that it was a (strategic) ploy to topple the PBS government by altering the demography of Sabah.

Mojuntin added that only a handful of leaders knew about this (dirty) ploy and that it remained a “hush hush” operation until all the evidence was eventually exposed in a (damning) RCI.


Didn't the “mega fraud” (also known as "Project M") change the face - and the future - of Sabah forever?


For the record, among the powerful political figures implicated in the scandal was former Sabah chief minister Osu Sukam and former deputy home minister Megat Junid Megat Ayub; shockingly, a prime witness in the RCI had also conceded that one of the objectives was to make the state “more favourable to Islam!”


Strangely though, the terms of reference of the said RCI set up by the then-PM Najib Razak did not call for investigating and naming the real masterminds who gave the orders to execute the treasonous plan! (Shades of the brutal Altantuya case where the real “architects" of the murder and the “intent” for the killing was allegedly never established in court?)

In conclusion, the very nature of the latest scandal involving the naturalization of foreign footballers is definitely not something new to the country; in fact, what many concerned citizens may be asking is: isn't it reflective of a systemic culture of hypocrisy that seems to be deeply entrenched in this country?

Moreover, isn't it the norm here, especially, when it involves “crimes” perpetrated by those in power, where once the “dirt” hits the fan, the blame is conveniently shifted to lower ranking officers, where after a little bit of drama, the file is eventually closed?