Sarawak minister defends refusal to accept Rohingya refugees

PETALING JAYA: Sarawak’s refusal to accept Rohingya refugees should not be mistaken for a lack of compassion, says a state minister.

Tourism, creative industry and performing arts minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said that while the state government sympathised with the plight of the Rohingya, it maintained that refugee intake must be handled in an orderly manner.

“We are saddened by what has happened in Myanmar, where many people have been forced to leave their own country because of persecution.

“We do not welcome them, but that does not mean we are inhumane,” he was quoted as saying by Dayak Daily.

Karim said Sarawak has maintained a firm stance since 2017 when premier Abang Johari Openg announced that the state would not accept Rohingya refugees.

He said it was the “correct” decision to take.

He noted that Sarawak had previously supported vulnerable groups, citing aid given to non-citizens and foreign workers stranded in the state during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“During Covid-19, those who were here and could not return home because the borders were closed were also assisted. That reflects our state and administration. We are not cruel. We will help when the need comes,” he said.

Karim also urged the federal government to ensure that any refugee intake is handled in a systematic and orderly manner to avoid long-term social and economic pressures.

“If the Malaysian government wishes to welcome refugees who are facing persecution in their own countries, make sure it is managed properly,” he said.

The treatment of the Rohingya community in Malaysia has come under the spotlight recently.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) says there are about 126,000 Rohingya on its register in Malaysia, out of a total of 215,600 registered refugees and asylum seekers. However, the total Rohingya population in the country is believed to exceed 200,000.

There have also been negative reports about the community, ranging from allegedly illegal schools, settlements and housing projects, to misuse of business licences, and hate speech.

Recently, newly appointed J-Kom director-general Hisyamuddin Ghazali came under criticism for urging Malaysians to “keep an eye on the Rohingya”.

Former Klang MP Charles Santiago accused Hisyamuddin of making the Rohingya a public target when the refugee community was already vulnerable in Malaysia.