KUALA LUMPUR: The Home Ministry will implement a registration system for refugees to improve the government’s access to accurate data.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail (pic) said implementing the Refugee Registration Document initiative is necessary, as the current refugee registration process, managed by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, involves lengthy data-sharing procedures with the government.
“So, to expedite our handling of refugee issues, the National Security Council said the ministry should collect registration data on refugees.
“The ministry is now in the procurement process and will appoint a vendor to deliver the system. We’ll use existing infrastructure, such as the Immigration Department’s 78 offices nationwide, to make it easier for refugees to come forward,” he told reporters after the Intan Minister’s Conversation session here yesterday, Bernama reported.
Also present were Home Ministry secretary-general Datuk Awang Alik Jeman, Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay, Public Service deputy director-general (development) Datuk Dr Mohd Bakhari Ismail and Intan director Datuk Dr Mohd Zabri Yusoff.
Saifuddin Nasution said the screenings of 37,000 individuals to assess whether they meet the criteria for asylum seekers have already begun.
He added that the ministry is now studying the next steps once the refugees are registered, including more comprehensive management measures that prioritise national security without neglecting their welfare.
“This includes access to education and healthcare, not through government (schools or hospitals), but we will allow initiatives by other parties, such as private institutions and NGOs, to operate schools.
“In terms of healthcare, while doctors are bound by their oath to provide medical services, we also need to acknowledge that treating refugees often results in unpaid bills, which is an issue for the country,” he said.
Meanwhile, Saifuddin Nasution said an artificial intelligence (AI) analysis of 1.2 million criminal case records from the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) has revealed that drug abuse is the main “gateway” to more serious crimes in the country.
He said most serious crimes committed by offenders also involved three main offences under the Dangerous Drugs Act – drug addiction under Section 15(1), possession of small quantities of drugs under Section 12(2), and repeat drug-related offences under Section 39C.
“If we want to tackle crime in Malaysia today, we must address the root cause, which is offenders’ involvement in drug-related crimes.”
He said the findings of the AI analysis would enable stronger policies and strategies to combat drug-related crime to be developed, as they were based on data already available to PDRM.
Saifuddin Nasution explained that if drug-related issues could be resolved, it would also help alleviate the current overcrowding in prisons, as the majority of inmates were involved in drug-related offences.
He said the use of AI in PDRM’s crime data analysis was part of the ministry’s initiative to leverage the technology to resolve public service delivery issues.
