KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 5 — Some Malaysians are falsely seeking refugee status abroad, Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Marzuki Yahya said.

He told Parliament this was affecting genuine visa applications by other Malaysians.

"This situation has caused difficulties to other Malaysians looking to travel, study, seek jobs or migrate abroad through legal means,” he said.

Marzuki also acknowledged numbers provided by Datuk Mohd Salim Mohd Sharif (BN-Jempol), who said 33,000 Malaysians overstayed in Australia while 4,973 sought refugee status there.

He said Australia has also placed its immigration officers in Malaysia to vet visa applications.