Malaysia won't extradite Uighur refugees, even if China requests - minister

Putrajaya has reiterated its stand not to extradite any ethnic Muslim Uighurs who sought shelter here in Malaysia even if there was a request from China to do so.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Special Functions) Mohd Redzuan Md Yusof (above) said this was in line with Putrajaya's stance not to interfere with the internal affairs of another country.

"Malaysia practises foreign policies which always fight for the right of every country to solve their internal affairs without interference from outside parties," he said in a parliamentary reply.

He said Muslim Uighurs were indeed being oppressed in their homeland.

"The issue of the oppression of Muslims worldwide, including against the ethnic Uighurs in the Xinjiang region in China does exist and must be admitted to by all parties," he said.

"However, on the Uighur refugee issue, the government has taken a stand not to interfere in the affairs of China," added the minister.

Redzuan said, as such, if any Uighur refugee seeks shelter in Malaysia, this country has decided it will not extradite them, even if an application is made by China.

He also said that the refugees will be allowed passage to another country after Malaysia if they feared for their safety.

"Based on this policy, the government does not have any information on Uighur refugees who have been granted refugee status by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)," he said.

"The government will also not grant permanent residence (PR) status to any refugees," he added.

Redzuan was replying Chan Foong Hin (Harapan-Kota Kinabalu), who requested the number of Uighurs entering Malaysia from 2010 to 2020.

Chan wanted to know how many of them were granted refugee status and how many of them received PR status.

In 2018, China requested Malaysia to extradite 11 Uighurs who were reported to have been arrested in Malaysia after escaping from a Thai jail in 2017.

Reuters reported that Malaysia was under pressure to hand over the refugees.

Later that year, then prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said the 11 Uighurs were released by the court as they did not do anything wrong in this country. - Mkini