Picture: Patient's Complaint...James Saging (left) expressing his grienvances to Tiong (2nd right) after 3 hours waiting for his treatment at A & E Unit. BINTULU-- A number of headmen have attempted to abuse the recent mobile registration exercise conducted by the National Registration Department (NRD) here by endorsing applications submitted by illegal immmigrants. In revealing this, Bintulu Member of Parliament, Dato' Seri Tiong King Sing said the feedbacks that he had gathered had exposed as much as three cases of suspicious applications being received by the NRD team during the six-day exercise starting 25 June this year. "I must warned all the headmen that assisting illegal immigrants to obtain Malaysian identity cards is a very serious offence and everyone must be aware of the consequences," he affirmed when speaking during his visits to 16 longhouses along Jalan Sebauh-Bintulu here recently. He said the unethical practice of the headmen involved would only defeat the efforts attempted by the Barisan Nasional Government to allow genuine Malaysian citizens in the rural to enjoy their rights as any other bona fide citizens of the country. In his views, the headmen involved should have realised the tedious efforts of the NRD officers to carry out the tasks in their hardly accessible areas and treasure the "sweat that had been poured in" to ensure the deserving rural Malaysian citizens would get their identity cards. He advised headmen to maintain honesty in executing their duties as grassroot leaders and should refrain themselves from bribrical practices that could develop out of the illegal immigrants' attempt to secure their unrightful rights. Headmen must uphold truth and accuracy, said Tiong, as they were the cream trusted by the Barisan Nasional government to operate the frontline to uphold the interests of the local people. Aside from the headmen, he also reminded staff of remote rural clinics in the division to maintain their professionalism and not to be easily influenced by short term gains by listening to the deals made by illegal immigrants. Amid the issue clouding the efforts of the NRD, Tiong also apologised to the rural people yet to be covered by the exercise where he stressed that the Government is continuously trying to accommodate their needs. "It is a difficult task, a tedious thing to do but it had to be done and whoever enjoyed or will enjoy it, should treasure it," he added...ends With photograph. Picture: Jame Saging showing the deep cut that he suffers on his back.