More OIC member states pledge donations for Rohingya

Several OIC member states have pledged their contributions today following Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's pledge of RM10 million for the Rohingya.

Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman said Indonesia and Pakistan have pledged about US$5 million worth of rice, while others have promised to discuss and announce their contributions later.

He also stressed that the plight of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar must not be ignored.

"What Malaysia is afraid of is the timeframe. We do not want to sit still and watch things happen and as what we have learned from previous experience in Bosnia and Kosovo, when help comes, it was a little too late," he said at the press conference after the extraordinary Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers on The Situation of The Muslim Minority.

The extraordinary session held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Center was convened at the request of Malaysia to discuss the ongoing situation of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar.

He said although Malaysia is urging Myanmar to address the Rohingya crisis, as close neighbours it is also offering assistance.

Anifah said Malaysia only accepted the displaced Myanmar Muslims temporarily, based on humanitarian grounds, but urged the Myanmar government to allow them to go back and guarantee their safety and basic human rights.

He also called on the Myanmar government to accept an independent team to assess the situation in the country.