KUALA LUMPUR – Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Abdullah should explain to Parliament why the government wants to shut the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) agency here, a DAP lawmaker said.
Bukit Bendera MP Wong Hon Wai said doing so would leave refugees vulnerable and have a big impact on Malaysia’s international relations.
“It will also affect the good reputation of Malaysia, which was elected as a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council for the term 2022-2024, and has a moral obligation to prioritise human rights issues in the country and in the region.
“I urge the foreign minister to give a ministerial statement in Parliament which will convene on October 3. Parliament is the place to debate policies on refugees as well as mechanisms to deal with their issues in a humane manner while balancing the needs of national security,” Wong said in a statement today.
Wong was referring to a news report in Berita Harian quoting National Security Council director-general Datuk Rodzi Md Saad, who said the government had long-term plans to close UNHCR’s operations here.
However, Rodzi said the government will only do so once state agencies improve their capacity to manage refugee issues.
He also said the intention was for Malaysia to handle refugee issues on its own “without outside interference”.
In July, Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin announced a tracking and tracing system to keep tabs on refugees’ whereabouts, which drew condemnation from migrant and refugee rights groups.
The system, called TRIS, would use the database on UNHCR cardholders and asylum seekers. – The Vibes, September 7, 2022
