PUTRAJAYA, Dec 11 — Malaysia strongly rejected the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees’ (UNHCR) claim that the country is blocking access to its immigration detention depots.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said Malaysia has never denied any visit requests, insisting that only two visit requests have been received this year.

He said the perception that the country is blocking access must be corrected.

“Yesterday, UNHCR, as reported by The New York Times, said that we are not granting access to immigration depots. As far as I can recall, we have only received two letters this year in which UNHCR requested to visit the depots.

“But it told the world that we blocked or did not allow it. So we need to manage this perception,” he said when addressing the Home Ministry’s monthly assembly here today.

He was responding to a New York Times report quoting UNHCR as saying that it has been barred from visiting detention depots since 2019, hindering its ability to identify refugees and assess conditions at the facilities.

Last March, Saifuddin reportedly said that the Home Ministry was prepared to allow UNHCR to visit immigration detention depots, but noted that several procedures would need to be followed before such visits could proceed.

Meanwhile, Saifuddin said the public should adhere to the requirement to dress modestly when lodging reports at police stations.

However, he stressed that the police will still accept reports even if an individual does not comply with the prescribed dress code.

He said the priority of the police is to assist members of the public who need help, including when filing reports, as this is a core duty of the country’s security forces.

“It is the duty of the police to receive reports...So no matter what the situation is, the police have to take the report. Indeed, there is a circular (on dress code when dealing with government offices). The circular serves as a guide,” he said.

Saifuddin was commenting on a recent incident that went viral on social media, in which a woman was denied entry into the Melaka District Police Headquarters (IPD) for allegedly violating the dress code for government premises.

It is understood that the woman had been involved in an accident while travelling back to Johor after attending an event in Kuala Lumpur.

She was reportedly barred from entering the IPD to file a report because the skirt she was wearing was above the knee. — Bernama