Protect the rights of refugees in the country, govt urged

PETALING JAYA: While Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s speech at the United Nations on the fate of the Rohingya was strong and powerful, Malaysia also needs to do more to empower refugees that are here, says Charles Santiago.

The Klang MP said just as the Prime Minister was stern about his non-cooperation with Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi, the government needs to also have the political will to promote and protect the rights of the refugees here.

“And this must be done immediately,” said Santiago in a statement yesterday.

He said Malaysia needs a comprehensive refugee policy that looked at access to gain employment, healthcare and structured education for each and every one of them.

Santiago said this must be done without any further delay as the signing and ratification of the 1951 UN Refugee Convention, as promised by Pakatan Harapan in its election manifesto, was a long process.

“The refugees, including the Rohingya, are subjected to harassment by the police and immigration, have no means to feed their family or educate their children and cannot afford to pay the high costs at government hospitals,” he said.

Santiago also said the government must lobby its Asean counterparts to exert pressure on Myanmar to stop the violence against the Rohingya and instead give them back their citizenship.

Considered to be stateless and often subjected to arbitrary violence and forced labour in Myanmar, the Rohingya are considered by the UN as one of the most persecuted minorities in the world.

As at last August, there were 77,130 Rohingya refugees and asylum seekers registered with the UNHCR in Malaysia, although unofficial estimates are considerably higher.

Dr Mahathir had addressed the UN General Assembly last Friday over the state of the Rohingya.

He criticised the authorities in Myanmar and Suu Kyi for denying that the Rohingya people were being murdered, their homes torched and over a million refugees were forced to flee.

Dr Mahathir also questioned the world for keeping silent on the massacres.