KUALA LUMPUR, May 14 ― The United Nations (UN) should send refugees to the Philippines and Cambodia instead of allowing them to stay here as Malaysia is not a signatory to the UN’s 1951 Refugee Convention, a minister said yesterday.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim told the New Straits Times that the Philippines and Cambodia are state members of the UN convention and are closer to Myanmar, saying that the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) should “look that way, not our way”, amid a refugee crisis in the region.

“The minute we see boats carrying illegal immigrants, regardless of their status approaching this country, they will be chased out,” Shahidan was quoted saying in the report published by the local daily today.

“If they pass through our maritime border and humanitarian considerations need to be applied, we will save them, take them into custody and hand them over to immigration for detention. From there, UNHCR must take charge and move them to another country, or send them back to their country of origin,” he added.

UK paper The Guardian reported yesterday that up to 8,000 poor Bangladeshi migrants and Rohingya asylum seekers are believed to be stranded at sea near Malaysia and Indonesia.

Putrajaya has declared that asylum-seeker boats will be turned back, while Indonesia also reportedly turned away a vessel after giving supplies and directions to Malaysia.