PENANG deputy chief minister II Prof P. Ramasamy has raised questions about the Malaysian Government’s stand on the presence of United Nations High Commission on Refugees (UNHCR) in the country.
“Did the Home Affairs Ministry – under which the National Security Council (MKN) is placed – and its minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin gave permission to the director-general to question the relevance of the presence of UNHCR in Malaysia?” the DAP lawmaker asked.
On Tuesday (Sept 6) MKN director-general Datuk Rodzi Md Saad suggested shutting down the UNHCR office in Malaysia.
According to a Harian Metro report, Rodzi, who heads the national security council (MKN), said this would allow Putrajaya to manage refugees in the country better without “interference” from external influences.
On this matter, Ramasamy reckoned that if a senior civil servant like Rodzi can make a statement that mocks the presence of UNHCR, then it is believed that the Government – or at least some quarters – are not happy with the existence of UNHCR in the country.
He stressed that there are no public agencies that can deal with the complicated and multi-dimensional issues faced by refugees and asylum seekers better than UNHCR.
“Malaysia, like other authoritarian countries, is simply incapable of managing the refugee situation,” Ramasamy opined.
“UNHCR might not be perfect, but with mandate from the United Nations (UN) it is the best solution to tackle the numerous problems emanating from the movement of refugees to the country and the subsequent outflow.”
Legal perspective
According to Ramasamy, the problem is rather fundamental: that the Malaysian Government does not recognise the concept of refugees or asylum seekers in the first place.
That said, the flow of refugees is simply seen from a legal perspective, regardless whether they have valid documents of entry or otherwise – if they do not, they can be subject to arrest and deportation.
“However, the presence of UNHCR makes it difficult for the Government to apply the blanket law and order perspective,” Ramasamy explained.
“UNHCR, given its expertise and humanitarian concerns, is prepared to differentiate the genuine refugees from the economic migrants.”
Describing Malaysia’s “preoccupation with law and order” as “mind-boggling”, he said the country is in no position to differentiate between genuine refugees, those fleeing from wars and persecution and those who are economic migrants.
Ramasamy said that it is not the Government but the UN agency that has the expertise to deal with refugees as the Government “lacks the knowledge, patience [and] humanitarian values to respect [refugees] as human beings”.
“The law-and-order methodology is inhuman and cruel to the thousands of refugees who have come for a temporary stay,” he added.
“If the Government thinks that there is unnecessary interference from UNHCR, then there is a need for constant consultations and discussions on the matter of refugees.
“It is not that UNHCR does not want to engage with the Government but rather the latter does not even respect the agency in the first place.”
Ramasamy stressed that there is “clearly no quarrel” between the Government and UNHCR on the matter of refugees; rather, the adopted methodologies in dealing with refugees are different.
“Rodzi by coming out with his crude and unsympathetic remarks about the UNHCR might have echoed the sentiments of those in the higher echelons of the Government as only in rare circumstances that senior civil servants emerge to make political or controversial statements,” Ramasamy noted.
“This is the reason why the Government or the minister concerned must either admonish Rodzi or accept the fact UNHCR is not welcomed in the country.
“It would be better for Rodzi to be replaced with someone who is more sensitive to UN agencies such as UNHCR.” – Sept 8, 2022
