(May 26): Rohingya and Bangladeshi boat migrants currently detained at the Belantik Immigration Depot in Kedah after landing on Malaysian shores two weeks ago are at risk of contracting communicable diseases, Malaysian Medical Relief Society (Mercy Malaysia) president Datuk Dr Ahmad Faizal Mohd Perdaus said.

Overcrowding at the facility is the main contributing factor, he said, and suggested the authorities open another camp or detention centre so the risk of disease spread could be mitigated.

“It’s overcrowded in there. The risk of communicable diseases is quite high,” said Dr Ahmad Faizal in a telephone interview with The Malaysian Insider.

While not "life-threatening", Dr Ahmad Faizal said the best should be done for the migrants as well as for the staff and volunteers working in the detention centre.

“Of course it is also for the best of the refugees and the migrants as it is quite packed in there. It is also good for the staff so they can provide a better service to the boat people.”

It is understood that the depot's capacity is 950 but it is currently housing some 2,000 Rohingyas and Bangladeshis, most of whom landed on Langkawi island in Kedah two weeks ago when smugglers abandoned them at sea.

Mercy Malaysia is the only non-governmental relief team allowed access to the boat people, Dr Ahmad Faizal said.

“We cannot stay in there but we have team who goes there almost everyday to provide medical aid, personal hygiene materials not only to the Rohingyas and Bangladeshis in the facility but also to the staff there.

"We provide health education to them. We also there to compliment the medical care given by the Ministry of Health.”

It is understood that the government is already looking for another facility to place the boat people refugees.

“We were told that they are looking at one of the National Service training camps. We don’t know how many exactly or where but we are hoping for one more besides Belantik.”

He said Mercy will also be providing counselling and mental health support after receiving clearance from the government to do so.

“Those boat people, they are traumatised and they have a poor state of mental health because of being on the boat for a very long time and also because of the things that happened to them prior to that.

"Although the Rohingyas and Bangladeshis have different situations back in their homeland, both need counselling and mental health support.”

Mercy Malaysia will also be mobilising a team to go out to the sea if there is a need. At the moment, Dr Ahmad Faizal said there were no boats in Malaysian waters.

“The government has given us a clearance. We can go with the assistance from our navy.

“We are just waiting for instructions from the navy but the latest information we received was that there are no boat in our waters. The one that was on news recently already landed in Aceh.”

Individuals and organisations who want to contribute can do so by donating cash for relief efforts as it would be easier for Mercy to buy all the necessary items and goods needed. – The Malaysian Insider