STRAITSTIMES
July 14, 2020
File Photo: In this picture taken on May 2, 2020, Rohingya refugees stranded at sea are seen on a boat near the coast of Cox's Bazar. - Dozens of Rohingya refugees believed to have come from two boats stranded at sea for weeks as they tried to reach Malaysia landed on the Bangladesh coast on May 2, Rohingya community leaders said. (Photo by STR / AFP)
Letters: Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin's statement that Malaysia will not send refugees who come by boats back to the sea is most welcome.
Applying a humanitarian approach is appropriate while seeking for a better solution depending on the situation.
Malaysia needs to act with caution so as not to be seen as violating international law, what more as an Islamic country that should act in accordance with Islamic principles.
The PM's reply in the Dewan Rakyat confirmed that the action of sending them back to the sea will not be done.
This should be emphasised as a policy so that enforcement agencies will not be in a dilemma when accepting refugees.
Refugees who have no choice when they are under oppression and trapped in conflict are now seeking protection around the world.
While conflict and oppression must be stopped, victims seeking refuge need to be managed by world bodies and countries that become transit for refugees.
Rohingya refugees do need international protection based on the principle of "non-refoulment" which is not to surrender oppressed groups to countries where they are persecuted and exemptions are given to immigrants who need UNHCR protection based on humanitarian principles.
They should not be evicted and the government should allow them to stay temporarily until a solution is found.
Mohd Azmi Abdul Hamid
President, Malaysian Consultative Council of Islamic Organisations (Mapim)
No comments:
Post a Comment