(May 15): As criticism continues to rain down on Malaysia for turning away boatloads of Rohingya refugees, seeking protection here, concerned citizens have started online petitions to call for intervention into the plight of the stateless Muslims.

One such petition is by Debbie YM Loh and Philip Teh, who have targeted the petition at Putrajaya, urging the government to rescue the refugees and migrants "left vulnerable out in the sea" after being turned away by countries in the region.

"We, the citizens and residents of Malaysia and Asean, take these cues to state in no uncertain terms that we the people want incoming migrants who have been abandoned at sea by traffickers to be rescued and cared for by our elected Malaysian government, until a secure fate can be assured to them," the duo said.

They also urged the government to provide the refugees with shelter, medical care, food and water and to also declare its commitment to the rescue and care of refugees who enter Malaysian soil.

In addition, Loh and Teh want Putrajaya to coordinate a collaborative regional effort to crack down on human trafficking to protect refugees and punish offenders.

So far, the petition has received more than 600 signatures, but it is aiming at 10,000.

Meanwhile, college student Tan Zhong Yan has also started a petition via Change.org to urge Asean secretary-general Le Luong Minh, Asean nations and Putrajaya to look into the plight of the Rohingya people.

"Refugees are human beings. They are just like each and every one of us. They are not criminals. They are not terrorists. They are not here to harm us. They are here to survive," the 22-year-old said.

"As Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia have refused to save them and have been playing 'human ping-pong', I have decided to launch an online campaign petitioning the Asean secretary-general Le Luong Minh, Asean member states and the government of Malaysia as the chair of Asean in urging them to save these people."

This petition has received 268 signatures and is in need of some 200 more to reach the target of 500.

More than 1.3 million Rohingya – viewed by the United Nations as one of the world's most persecuted minorities – live in Myanmar's western Rakhine state.

AFP reported yesterday that Malaysia turned away two boats carrying hundreds of migrants.

The wire agency also quoted Deputy Home Minister Datuk Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar saying, "Of course, there is a problem back home in Myanmar with the way they treat the Rohingya people.

"So that is why we need to send a very strong message to Myanmar that they need to treat their people with humanity. They need to be treated like humans, and cannot be so oppressive."

Yesterday, Klang MP Charles Santiago hit out at Putrajaya, saying that Malaysia's chairmanship of Asean could be considered a failure if Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak does not reprimand Myanmar for causing the exodus of Rohingya refugees.

"Malaysia is the chair of Asean and it was also instrumental in bringing Myanmar into the 10-member bloc.

"We need Najib, as the head of state, to reprimand Myanmar and hold its quasi-civilian government accountable for the targeted persecution and killings of the Rohingya," Santiago said.

He also accused Wan Junaidi of displaying "sheer ignorance" by saying that the Rohingya should return to Myanmar if their boats were fine, as there was "no war" back home.

He said Malaysia has been criticised by the United Nations, opposition leaders, human rights workers and civil society for turning away the refugees.

"Even Malaysia's former cabinet member, (Tan Sri) Syed Hamid Albar, has said the Rohingya refugees must be allowed to land here.

"Despite the uproar, Najib is silent… and Malaysia’s chairmanship of Asean will be a failure," he said.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has said that Southeast Asian leaders should intensify individual and collective efforts to address the situation and tackle the root causes, "which are often human rights violations". – The Malaysian Insider