Measures taken to ensure Rohingya refugees not involved in terrorism

Malaysia has taken appropriate measures to ensure Rohingya refugees taking refuge in this country are not involved in terrorism.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim said the country's security situation was currently at top level with the various measures taken and monitoring carried out.

He also refuted claims that the Rohingya refugees were at risk of being influenced by international militant groups like ISIS.

"I give assurance that the ethnic Rohingya refugees present in this country are not exposed to the ISIS threat or any terrorist activities."

Shahidan said this in Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday, in reply to a supplementary question from Dr Mansor Abdul Rahman (PAS-Sik) on reports of ISIS offering US$2,000 and food (to refugees) at the refugee camps in Lebanon and Jordan and the fear that this could also happen in Malaysia.

To the original question from Su Keong Siong (DAP-Ipoh Timur) on measures taken by the Malaysian government and police on the Rohingya refugee issue, Shahidan said the government was bearing the cost of assisting and managing this ethnic group based solely on humanitarian considerations.

He said, in principle, such costs for refugees in this country including the Rohingya should be borne by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and International Organisation for Migration.

"This is because of the government's policy of not recognising the status of refugees including that of the ethnic Rohingya in view of Malaysia not being a party to the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and the 1967 Protocol.

"However, the government subsequently has to help fend for these refugees as the UNHCR could not give them full protection," he said.

In this regard, he added, the government had formed a joint task force with the UNHCR which was being coordinated by the Home Ministry in tackling issues related to these refugees.

-- BERNAMA