KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has been extending humanitarian assistance to Myanmar's Rohingyas who have fled their country by sea, said National Security Council chairman Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim (pic).
Shahidan said on Monday that help provided was in the form of food and water, and fuel to allow the migrants to continue their maritime voyage elsewhere.
He noted that the Government did not to adopt an open-door policy with regard to migrants to prevent a flood of illegals trying to make their way here.
He said that there were already some 45,000 Rohingyas living here who are United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) cardholders.
"It is unfair of the international media to say that Malaysia is not taking in the migrants.
"UNHCR is supposed to make arrangements for these migrants to be sent to a third country but this has dragged on for years now," he said.
He added that there are concerns that the Rohingyas are looking at Malaysia not as a transit point but as a country of destination.
To a question by Datuk Irmohizam Ibrahim on rumours of migrant camps and graves on the Malaysian side of the Thailand-Malaysia border, Shahidan said the issue would be answered by the Home Ministry during Dewan proceedings.
On a separate issue, Shahidan who is also Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, said that there are no plans to set up a security zone at the border.
"Based on evaluation of the situation, there is no necessity to set up a security zone at the borders between Thailand and Malaysia," he told lawmakers in Dewan Rakyat here.
He said the situation differed to the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (Esszone) and the Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) which were set up following the Feb 2013 Lahad Datu intrusion.
He added there already exists good working ties between leaders of both Thailand and Malaysia and the respective security forces.
http://www.information.myanmaronlinecentre.com/malaysia-has-been-extending-humanitarian-aid-to-rohingyas-says-shahidan/
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