Don't politicise Rohingya issue, Lim warns Ahmad Zahid

Lim said although the Penang state government had said that they are ready to cooperate, the Federal government did not inform them anything about the placement for the refugees.

“The state government had never politicised national security matters. We gave our full cooperation but they never gave us any information,” he said in a press conference at the Parliament lobby today.

“Zahid, don’t play in the humanitarian issue like this. Just do your job as the Home Minister,” Lim said.

He claimed that withholding information from the state government is the Barisan Nasional’s dirty tactic after failing to win the Permatang Pauh by-election, held in May.

“In the 11th Malaysia Plan, Penang was not given any attention and removed from the list of main cities. But suddenly in the issue of Rohingya, Penang name is brought up,” he said.

“I know he has problems in UMNO but this is not the way. Let us do this in a gentlemanly,” he said.

He said although Ahmad Zahid had called on Penang to assist in the issue of Rohingya refugees, the manpower and authority lies under the purview of the Federal government.

“Manpower and authority are from the Federal government. Immigration and the army are also from the Federal government. Does he want to give all these to the state government? Even he knows he won’t,” Lim said.

A news portal on Sunday quoted Lim as saying that the Rohingya and Bangladeshi refugees should be placed on federal government-owned land on the island or mainland as the state land was limited.