SHAH ALAM, Sept 2 — A total of 1,476 Myanmar nationals at Immigration detention centres are set to be repatriated by the end of the month, said Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil.
He said Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hassan told the Cabinet arrangements agreed with Myanmar would ensure those repatriated are safe upon return.
He added that Malaysian authorities have screened the detainees and given their details to the Myanmar Embassy in Kuala Lumpur.
“Around 10,000 Myanmar nationals are being held in Immigration detention centres, (and) 5,000 names have been screened by the Home Ministry, and their names forwarded to the Myanmar embassy.
“From that list, Myanmar has agreed that 1,476 (detainees repatriated) will be safe upon their return,” he said at his weekly press conference today.
Fahmi was responding to a question on concerns raised by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), stating it was not involved in Malaysia’s repatriation of Myanmar refugees.
UNHCR had warned that ongoing armed conflict and violence meant Myanmar is still unsafe for refugees to return.
On August 28, the Home Ministry said it would repatriate Myanmar refugees on September 29, as part of a voluntary programme for 5,000 of them.
On a separate matter, Fahmi dismissed claims that Malaysia plans to recruit 200,000 workers from Bangladesh, saying he has contacted Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Ramanan Ramakrishnan and was informed the statement does not represent the Bangladeshi government’s official position.
“It was issued by a junior minister. He does not represent the Bangladeshi government’s official decision,” Fahmi said.
