Malaysia’s deputy police chief says tackling Rohingya refugee issue requires coordinated efforts across agencies and nations involved.
KUALA LUMPUR: The issue of Rohingya refugees in Malaysia requires a comprehensive approach involving multiple enforcement agencies as well as the countries concerned.
Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay said the entry process of the ethnic group into the country involved multiple layers, beginning from maritime areas under the jurisdiction of other agencies.
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He said the initial layer involved security control by the Royal Malaysian Navy and the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, while the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) was the final recipient in the chain.
“If we want to address this issue, it must involve all parties because the route has many layers, and the police only act from the security aspect when they commit criminal offences,” he said.
He told a press conference this after officiating the Hospital Visit Programme in conjunction with the 219th Police Day at Tunku Ampuan Besar Tuanku Aishah Rohani Hospital, the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Children’s Specialist Hospital, here today.
Ayob Khan said statistics from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) stated that as of last April, there were 219,472 card holders in Malaysia, of whom 128,200 were Rohingyas.
Commenting on allegations of illegal foreigner settlements that are frequently circulated on social media, he said PDRM’s detention operations are conducted continuously and not only when they attract public attention or concern from non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
He said the continuity of enforcement had been demonstrated through the detention of 42 individuals at the Sungai Tekali flats in Hulu Langat last year, with an explanation on the matter issued by the Kajang district police chief on June 9.
On the proposal to establish a Rohingya transit centre on an island near the Andaman Sea, he said the proposal required in-depth study as it could give rise to various logistical and management issues in the future.
“If such a (transit) centre is established, who will manage it and who will finance it? After screening, where will these individuals be placed, and would a third country be willing to accept them?” he said
He added that the matter must be carefully examined as it could become a pull factor for migrant smuggling syndicates in the future.
