Penang turns down suggestion to house Rohingyas, says report

KUALA LUMPUR — Penang wants Putrajaya to house the Rohingya and Bangladeshi refugees in land owned by the federal government, reports The Star.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said this was because the state had limited space, both on the island and the mainland.

He told the English daily that there were some 50,000 Rohingyas in Penang since the last six years and that state lands could not be used to house them.

Mr Lim also reiterated that Penang needed to be kept abreast of any plans to host the migrants in the northern state.

Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Khalid Abu Bakar suggested that Penang temporarily host the 7,000 Rohingya refugees who had fled Myanmar and were now still at sea.

He said Penang was a suitable as it was located in the north and it would be easier to send the people away later from there after a year.

“Maybe the IGP knows something we don’t. Maybe he is thinking of Pulau Jerejak. We are struggling to figure out where in Penang he has in mind.”

“Our state is too densely populated to be suitable,” Mr Lim was quoted as saying, referring to the island located off the southeastern tip of Penang that was used to hold detainees under the Internal Security Act.

The Star also reported that several groups and industry bodies said there should be adequate space and resources if Penang was chosen to accommodate the migrants.

Real Estate and Housing Developers Association Penang chairman Jerry Chan reportedly said Penang could temporarily house the refugees.

Penang Consumer Protection Association president K Koris Atan questioned Khalid’s proposal.

“Why is the IGP suggesting Penang? It should be in a large state like Pahang,” he was quoted as saying.

Penang welfare and caring society committee chairman Phee Boon Poh said the most suitable place was the Royal Malaysian Air Force base in Butterworth as it had the necessary security facilities in place.

On Friday (May 22), Lim said the Penang government would cooperate with Putrajaya on matters concerning national security, including the influx of Rohingya refugees.

But he admitted his administration was still in the dark about how the federal authorities were dealing with the boat people, who are now being allowed to stay in Malaysia temporarily. THE MALAYSIAN INSIDER