KUALA LUMPUR: Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul (pic) has encouraged Members of Parliament to take up refugee-related issues in the august House.
He also added that he would provide them with the space to discuss such issues in Parliament.
“I encourage MPs in select committees to pick up this issue and also urge the government to take action on this issue, which I think is pressing.
“And I will give you space so that we can discuss these issues in Parliament,” he said in a press conference amid the Parliamentary Symposium on Access to Education and Legal Work for Refugees held on Saturday (Feb 7).
Johari said the symposium was crucial because it brought together experts to share their views and raise MPs' awareness of the importance of the refugee issue.
The symposium was jointly organised by the Parliament and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Aside from MPs, Johari said the masses must also be made aware of the plight of refugees in Malaysia.
“These refugees who are here, especially young refugees who are not educated (because) they have no access to education.
“And they do nothing. They are neither skilled nor educated.
“They might even contribute to the social problems that we are having. So these are all the issues that we need to address,” he said.
