UNHCR worried over Mallaysia’s return of 1,476 to Myanmar; Samenta hails timely wage hike exemption

 

Refugee management

• The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has expressed concern over Malaysia’s recent return of 1,476 people to Myanmar, where conflict and serious human rights and humanitarian conditions continue.
  
  In a statement, UNHCR Assistant High Commissioner for Protection Edem Wosornu said those returned could face serious risks, with some potentially needing international protection.
  
  She also questioned whether the returns were genuinely voluntary, as the individuals had been held in immigration detention and claimed that UNHCR was not given access to assess their circumstances.
  
  UNHCR also stressed the principle of non-refoulement, under which people should not be returned to countries where they could face persecution, torture or other serious threats to their lives or freedom.
  
  It said states should continue providing access to asylum and upholding international protection obligations until conditions in Myanmar allow for safe, dignified and sustainable returns.

Rural and Regional Development Ministry

• Rural and Regional Development Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s political secretary accused former finance minister Lim Guan Eng of issuing “malicious” statements aimed at tarnishing the deputy prime minister’s reputation ahead of the Malacca polls.

  

  The claim from Razlan Rafii, who is also an Umno supreme council member, came after Lim repeated his call for authorities to probe and take action against Zahid over his ministry’s overspending of its approved RM2.1 billion allocation.
  
  In a statement today, Razlan (above) reiterated his opposition to the figure cited by the DAP man.

Minimum wage

• The Small and Medium Enterprises Association of Malaysia (Samenta) has welcomed the cabinet’s decision to exempt the industry from further minimum wage increases, describing it as a timely move amid rising costs and economic uncertainties.
  
  In a statement, Samenta president William Ng said the decision would help protect the livelihood of the country’s 1.3 million SMEs, which were facing persistent cost increases, squeezed margins and global economic pressures.
  
  Ng (below) said sustainable wage growth should be driven by value creation and productivity gains, and endorsed the government’s focus on the progressive wage policy.

  

  He also urged the government to work with industry associations to provide SME-focused training to boost productivity, while also addressing compliance costs, regulatory burdens, logistics and utility costs, and access to low-interest working capital.
  
  Ng, however, called on SMEs that could afford higher wages to offer them to employees to help retain talent and build a motivated workforce. - Mkini