KDN will obtain data on Rohingya in Malaysia from UNHCR, Wisma Putra

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MOHA) will seek information on the data of United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) card holders in the country from UNHCR and Wisma Putra, said its Minister, Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin.

He said the data on the card holders were needed to enable the government to co-ordinate effort to ensure that everybody in the country had valid documents.

''I will call them (UNHCR) together with Wisma Putra to ensure whatever data they own must be handed over to us,'' he told the media on the allegation on the deluge in excess of over 85,000 Rohingya in the country who possessed a UNHCR card.

Earlier, Hamzah attended a ceremony on the conferment of rank to Datuk Seri Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani as the new Deputy Inspector-General of Police.

In a separate issue, Hamzah, who is also Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) secretary general, said 288 members of Bersatu who supported Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had had their memberships automatically terminated.

''We will issue a list of those involved,'' he said, adding that the list of names would be distributed to Bersatu divisions.

He said those listed could no longer attend division's delegates meetings and the Party Elections Committee (JPP) could cut out their names from the list of contesting candidates.

Hamzah also said Bersatu had received over 30,000 applications to join the party.

-- BERNAMA