KUALA LUMPUR (June 18): The Malaysian Advisory Group on Myanmar today expressed deep concern over Putrajaya's hardline approach towards refugees and undocumented migrants, following recent statements made by Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin and the Immigration director-general Datuk Indera Khairul Dzaimee Daud towards them, which it believes endangers Malaysians and will impede its recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.
Hamzah has been lambasted by lawmakers and non-governmental organisations recently over a planned joint operation among the Immigration Department, the National Registration Department and the police, to arrest undocumented migrants. The move also goes against what Hamzah's colleague Khairy Jamaluddin, the Science, Technology and Innovation Minister said earlier in February, that undocumented foreign nationals will not be arrested when they come forward for Covid-19 vaccinations.
But Hamzah took a hardline stance instead when he said in late May that law enforcers were prepared to make more arrests against those found flouting Covid-19 SOPs — including at sea and illegal routes to stop the entry of undocumented migrants. He also planned joint inspections on migrant settlements nationwide.
On Tuesday (June 15), Hamzah was reported to have said that the government will review a policy involving foreigners to resolve problems that arise which have an impact on local communities, and that the government has received suggestions to implement refugee camps.
Khairul, meanwhile, was reported to have said on Saturday (June 12) that Malaysia faces difficulties in repatriating Rohingya refugees as other countries, including Myanmar, are not willing to take them in.
Refugees, the Malaysian Advisory Group on Myanmar said in a statement today, are vulnerable populations who are victims of protracted conflicts and have risked their lives to flee home in search of refuge, including women and children.
"It is regrettable that the state apparatus such as the National Task Force (NTF) issued an anti-Rohingya poster which, unfortunately, fanned anti-refugee sentiments against a defenceless community.
"The hardline approach adopted by the state will simply push refugees and undocumented migrants further into hiding and discourage them from coming forward to be tested and vaccinated, essential steps in curbing community infections. However, despite alarm expressed by various NGOs and even politicians, the authorities responsible have dug their heels in and doubled down. These punitive measures will undermine efforts to contain the spread of Covid-19, thereby endangering the Malaysian public," the advisory group said in a statement.
The advisory group also pointed out that such punitive measures contradict Malaysia's long-standing role in regional and international foreign policy as a champion for communities facing persecution and oppression.
Hamzah’s suggestion to establish refugee camps in Malaysia for Rohingya refugees as a way of managing their population in the country is also troubling, the group said, slamming such a move as a regressive backslide.
The advisory group also highlighted that the vast majority of the 179,570 refugees in Malaysia are urban refugees, which allows them the possibility to live with greater dignity, normality as well as contribute to Malaysian society.
As such, building camps would not only perpetuate trauma and dependency but would also be an enormous drain on public resources and cut the refugees off from the rest of society. Citing the Immigration D-G, the group noted that there are already nearly 2,000 Rohingya in detention, many of them children.
"We must work together to find alternatives to detention for refugees, especially children, who have not committed any crime and would face persecution and risks to their lives if returned to their country of origin.
"It is also a matter of great concern that refugees in search of safety are sent back in rickety boats which land on our shores, exposing them to human traffickers and almost certain death," the group noted.
While the advisory group understands the need for deterrence and combating transboundary crimes, it believes that a more humane approach is needed to prevent trafficking and exploitation.
“Thailand, which, like Malaysia, is not party to the Refugee Convention, has developed a National Screening Mechanism (NSM) to enhance the protection of refugees and to grant a Protected Person Status to eligible individuals. It has other measures in place to protect refugees. Wherever possible, we should promote alternatives to camps so that refugees have the possibility to live with greater dignity, independence and normality,” it said.
The advisory group's committee also accepts that forced displacement is a global issue and Malaysia cannot bear the responsibility of being the sole host of these refugees.
As such it called on other ASEAN member states to also ramp up efforts to offer protection for refugees, especially those from Myanmar, on the basis of shared responsibility as outlined in the United Nations’ Global Compact on Refugees.
“As a leading developing nation, and an integral member of ASEAN, Malaysia cannot turn a blind eye on the sufferings of these refugees and further exacerbate the vulnerability of those fleeing conflict, war, and crimes against humanity.
"We urge the government and the people of Malaysia to lead by example, protect the refugees among us to ensure that their basic rights and needs are met, especially during this hard time of Covid-19. Let us do our part in preserving Malaysia as a peace-loving and compassionate nation that protects the most vulnerable in our society,” the statement concluded.
The Malaysian Advisory Group on Myanmar is an independent council, comprising distinguished and concerned persons from Malaysia's public and private sectors. Established in March 2021, it seeks to provide analysis to the Malaysian government and public on issues relating to the situation in Myanmar, and its impact on Malaysia and the wider Asean and Asian region.
Members of the group are Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar, Senator Liew Chin Tong, Tan Sri Tunku Puteri Intan Safinaz Almarhum Sultan Abdul Halim, Tan Sri Mohd Hashim Ali, Tan Sri Jemilah Mahmood, Tan Sri Tony Fernandes, Datuk Seri Nazir Razak, Datuk Seri Kalimullah Hassan and Lilianne Fan — who endorsed the statement today.