Zahid questions Penang over sincerity to accept refugees

The DAP-led Penang government should show its sincerity in championing human rights by allocating a temporary shelter for Rohingya and Bangladesh refugees in the state, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

He said the Immigration Department had identified several locations including Penang for the placement of refugees who were stranded on boats in international waters.

However, he said Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng wanted the refugees to be located on federal government land.

"We definitely want to see the sincerity of the Penang government which is led by DAP and also comprises PAS and PKR, who have claimed to be champions of the humanitarian cause.

"They also always blame the federal government for not implementing humanitarian policies by accepting the refugees in Penang," he told reporters after officiating at the Home Ministry's Family Day at the Malaysian Prisons College here Sunday.

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.

Lim was responding to suggestion by Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar on Friday, that Penang was the best location to temporarily shelter the 7,000 refugees stranded at sea.

Ahmad Zahid said the location for the refugees would be decided by the National Security Council, while there was no date fixed yet to let the refugees into the country as the Royal Malaysian Navy and Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency were still monitoring the situation.

He also urged the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) to join with Malaysia in caring for the migrants as well as providing monetary allocations.

He said the Malaysian government had to bear the cost of caring for each migrant at RM6.50 daily.

Asked if any Malaysian was involved in the human trafficking activity, he said the Immigration Department was questioning the 2,800 refugees who were temporarily placed at the Belantik Immigration detention depot in Sik, Kedah.

"We are doing the screening, and I am confident the refugees will tell us soon who are the locals behind the crime," he said.