PADANG BESAR, Ma 18 — Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the government was working closely with the Myanmar, Bangladesh and Thailand embassies to counter human trafficking syndicates.
He said Malaysia’s security forces, including the navy, maritime agency, marine police, Immigration and police, had been mobilised to patrol the sea and land to prevent the illegal entry of the immigrants.
“The Home Ministry and Wisma Putra will coordinate with the embassies to curb the influx of illegal immigrants,” he said after visiting the Belantik depot and border fencing at the Thai-Malaysian border here.
Zahid said most of the boat people paid money to the syndicates — which had connections in Myanmar, Bangladesh, Thailand and Malaysia — in their own countries.
“What would you do if you are in the position to decide?” he said when asked whether it was safe to return the boat people to the sea.
“Will you accept them?”
Zahid said the government was providing humanitarian help for the migrants who landed in Langkawi on Monday.
“We have a limit to help and it depends on our affordability.
“We accept aid for the refugees at the Belantik Depot in Sik and they could hand over the aid to the Immigration Department headquarters in Alor Star,” he said.
