SEREMBAN: Malaysia will prioritise the safety of Myanmar refugees before repatriating them to their home country to ensure their welfare and lives are protected.
Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said cooperation between the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Home Ministry was important to verify the refugees' status and assess the security situation they would face upon return.
"I have asked the of the Foreign Ministry secretary-general to liaise with the Myanmar government through its embassy so that they can be brought back gradually," he told reporters after a Ziarah Kasih programme at Taman Pinggiran Senawang here on Friday (Aug 14).
On media reports stating that the Myanmar government was prepared to repatriate 5,000 of its nationals in Malaysia by ship, he said Malaysia was ready to do it in stages, with priority given to those whose status had been verified.
"There is no need to wait until there are 5,000 people. The 1,000 already identified for repatriation can be sent back," he said.
Mohamad said Asean also viewed the issue of Myanmar refugees seriously and that it needed to be addressed collectively by member states.
He added that the Five-Point Consensus (5PC) must remain the core of the Asean mechanism in addressing the crisis in Myanmar. - Bernama
