PARLIAMENT | Malaysia has pledged to improve the treatment of children of undocumented migrants who have been detained together with their parents or guardians.
Home Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said the government plans to allocate a place in all immigration detention centres to take care of the children.
While agreeing that these children should not be arrested, Muhyiddin said they should remain with their parents or guardians.
"I agree that there is a need to upgrade (the Immigration detention centres), like some other countries.
"We are in talks with the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry to start a pilot project, dubbed 'Alternative to Detention'," he told the Dewan Rakyat during Minister's Question Time today.
The government will channel a large allocation for the project, Muhyiddin added.
He was responding to Maria Chin Abdullah (PKR-Petaling Jaya), who asked when the government would emulate other countries in providing an alternative place to shelter these children.
The Home Ministry and Immigration Department were criticised for detaining two children, both under the age of two, since June 14.
The children were taken into custody during a raid at Plaza Indah Apartment in Kajang, Selangor, where they had been under the care of their relatives.
The NGO Tenaganita had claimed that the children’s mother was a Philippine citizen who held a valid Malaysian visa, but was not home at the time of the raid.
[More to follow] - Mkini
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