KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 22 — The government is in the process of implementing a pioneer project to allow 300 Rohingya refugees, holding the United Nations High Commission For Refugees (UNHCR) card, to work in the country.
Deputy Home Minister Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed said those qualified and meet conditions stipulated by the government would be allowed to work in the plantation and manufacturing sectors.
“Although Malaysia is not a member of the United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees 1951 and Protocol 1967, its action in handling immigrants and refugees on humanitarian grounds clearly proves Malaysia has carried out its duty surpassing the existing obligations of countries at the international level,” he said.
He said this when winding up a debate on the 2017 Supply Bill at committee level for his ministry in Dewan Rakyat today.
A total 151,560 refugees and asylum seekers were registered with UNHCR in Malaysia as of May.
Of the total, 137,261 people were from Myanmar comprising ethnic Rohingya (52,960), Chins (42,973), Myanmar Muslims (11,232), Rakhines and Arakanese (5,762) and several other ethnic groups.
On another issue, Nur Jazlan said a specific act for the Malaysian Border Security Agency (Aksem) would tabled in Parliament next year to boost the effort of the ministry to eradicate the issue of economic leakage related to smuggling activities at the national land borders.
“It is hoped the Aksem act will give more power to the body to coordinate all the enforcement activities of the agencies under it so that it will be more effective in curbing smuggling and punishing those involved,” he said.
Aksem is the agency responsible in coordinating enforcement agencies at the borders to implement integrated operations via the National Blue Ocean Strategy (NBOS). — Bernama
