When hundreds of Burmese were seen gathering last Friday outside a stadium in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, it sparked speculation online that they were being given Malaysian citizenship.
However, this turned out to be a data-gathering exercise for unregistered asylum seekers by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
In a press statement today, UNHCR spokesperson Yante Ismail clarified that the exercise was to assist in identifying refugees mainly from the Rohingya, Burmese Muslim and Burmese Tamil groups.“For planning purposes, UNHCR needs to know (the identity of) the unregistered asylum seekers in the country and (such) data-gathering exercises help us to know this” she said.
Pro-Pakatan Rakyat blogger Milosuam had quoted a Facebook post that ‘10,000 Burmese were awarded citizenship’ on the morning of Nov 2.
The Facebook user claimed that they had to be Muslims and to recite a verse from the Quran before being awarded citizenship. However, the post has since been removed.
Milosuam also uploaded three photos from an unidentified reader, who claimed that many Burmese, Bangladeshi and Indian foreigners had gathered outside the stadium and questioned their motive.
I was there, and this is my firsthand truth:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.lifutushi.com/2012/11/pati-burma-dapat-ic-percuma-kat-stadium.html
Dear Mr.Ariff,
ReplyDeleteYou said you were there, please, let me know exactly where, inside the stadium or outside? In Islam,assuming something wrongly and without using our common sense and without seeing ourselves is a great sin.It can compare that one who tell lies is like eating pork or Haram.
Please, stop reporting false and those baseless news. Those poor Myanmar Muslim fellows who waited for long under the rain and heaaty sun were not to get the Malaysian IC or PR . But it was very clear that they were there just for presenting themselves to UNHCR staff and other NGO to get the UNHCR card. But those poor fellows were informed that they would be called after checking their Biodata by UNHCR ,Malaysia. So Don't be silly. Just because you want to tarnish your Prime minister's name ,don't victimize those Myanmar Muslims. You should be sent to Myanmar to let yourself feel grateful to your king and government after comparing situations there and here. Are you really aware that 90% of Muslims in Myanmar did not celebrate Hariraya Haji this year because children, men and women of Muslims from Rakhine State have been being sliced to death, burnt and raped. They were trapped as he boarder guards shot anyone who tried to run to Bangladesh although this country currently accepting the refugee. So better go there and write the truth and we will be with you for that.