KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 21 – The Dewan Rakyat was told on Tuesday that Malaysia wants Myanmar to play a big role and take concrete action in resolving the Rohingya issue. Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman said although Malaysia believed in non-interference, the Rohingya issue was serious and must be addressed together.
“In finding a solution, Malaysia has taken proactive measures with Myanmar via ASEAN, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the United Nations (UN),” he told Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang (PAS-Marang) who asked about Malaysia’s stand and measures in addressing the Rohingya issue.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had voiced Malaysia’s concern about the influx of Rohingya refugees and requested Myanmar’s cooperation in addressing the issue during the visit of Myanmar President U Thein Sein to Malaysia in March. As a result of the ministerial meeting on May 20, he said Malaysia and Indonesia agreed to temporarily accommodate some 7,000 Rohingya refugees waiting in the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea.
Anifah said in May, he told his Myanmar counterpart U Wunna Maung Lwin that the country should identify the main cause of the Rohingya refugee problem. At multilateral level, Malaysia as the 2015 ASEAN chairman was used as a platform to resolve the Rohingya issue.
He added that Malaysia will continue to highlight the Rohingya issue on platforms such as ASEAN, OIC and the UN and continue close bilateral cooperation with Myanmar and other countries. In May, boats carrying 1,158 illegal immigrants believed from Bangladesh and Myanmar, landed in Langkawi, Kedah. Meanwhile, they were also detained at Belantik Immigration Detention Centre in Sik, Kedah.
