PUTRAJAYA – The Home Ministry is scrutinising the groundwork for plans to remove children detained at temporary immigration depots nationwide, said its minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
He said the ministry was also identifying the actual number of children and where they are detained before handing them over to non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that specialise in the welfare of children.
“The (ministry’s secretary-general) has been instructed to get the ball rolling. Let them do their work first,” he told a media conference after attending the ministry’s monthly assembly here today.
On February 15, Saifuddin was reported to have said that his ministry was serious about managing the welfare of children detained at the depots after the matter caught the attention of human rights activists and international bodies, with discussions having been held with several groups, including NGOs, for its implementation.
Commenting on the official opening of a bar on Jalan Tun Razak in Kuala Lumpur on March 30, Saifuddin said it was inappropriate to organise any activity that could cause anxiety among the people during the month of Ramadan.
He said authorities would study the approval given for the event, which involves a group of hunky Thai male waiters dressed as women, first before taking any action.
“We are entering the holy month of Ramadan, so it’s only proper that such an event does not go ahead because it can cause uneasiness. (We)… must have mutual respect,” he said.
The event was advertised on social media and apparently would have featured several hunky Thai males dressed in female clothing, known as Thai Hot Guys, thus inviting negative reaction from the public. – Bernama, March 22, 2023
