Defence Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob today cautioned Rohingya refugees against attempting to make their way here, stressing that Malaysia will no longer accept their presence.
He said the decision to deport the refugees also applies to the newest group of 269 Rohingyas rescued on humanitarian grounds off the coast of Langkawi yesterday.
"...it is impossible for us to see children and the elderlies dying before our very eyes without us trying to save them.
"But we have decided that we will not allow them to remain here," he said.
"We will ask the Foreign Ministry to discuss with the government of Bangladesh, if this group came from Cox Bazaar, they will be sent back there.
"Or maybe we can ask for them to be placed on Bhashan (Char) island, the new settlement for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh," he said during the daily Covid-19 update press conference in Putrajaya.
Malay daily Harian Metro yesterday quoted a source as saying that the detainees include 80 men, 138 women, 26 boys, and 23 girls.
Ismail further said the government has also instructed Wisma Putra to engage in discussions with third countries that, unlike Malaysia, are signatories to the 1951 Refugee Convention. - Mkini
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