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Malaysia: Petition to Remove Rohingya Temporarily Suspended Amidst Government Statements
🇲🇾 Malaysia /Culture & Society

Malaysia: Petition to Remove Rohingya Temporarily Suspended Amidst Government Statements

From Utusan Malaysia · () Malay

Translated from Malay, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • A petition to remove Rohingya refugees from Malaysia, which garnered nearly 450,000 signatures, is temporarily inaccessible on Change.org.
  • The platform cited a review by moderators enforcing community guidelines as the reason for the temporary block.
  • This comes as Malaysia's Home Minister stated the country cannot arbitrarily expel Rohingya due to humanitarian and international considerations.

A petition on Change.org titled 'Remove Rohingya from Malaysia,' which had amassed close to 450,000 signatures, has been temporarily suspended. The online platform has made the petition inaccessible to the public while it undergoes a review by moderators to ensure compliance with community guidelines.

This petition may become available again once the review process is complete. We appreciate your patience.

— Change.orgExplaining the temporary suspension of the 'Remove Rohingya from Malaysia' petition.

"This petition may become available again once the review process is complete. We appreciate your patience," a notice on the petition's page stated. The petition, launched on May 29 by the 'Aku Anak Malaysia' account, aimed to gather one million signatures and urged authorities to find alternative solutions for the influx of Rohingya refugees.

Malaysia cannot arbitrarily expel Rohingya refugees because this issue involves humanitarian, security, and international responsibility considerations.

— Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution IsmailStating the government's position on the Rohingya refugee situation.

The suspension of the petition follows remarks by Malaysia's Home Minister, Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail. He emphasized that Malaysia cannot simply expel Rohingya refugees, citing humanitarian concerns, security implications, and international responsibilities. The minister stressed that decisions regarding refugees must balance humanitarian principles with security realities, rather than being driven solely by emotion or sentiment.

The approach to refugees cannot be driven by emotion or sentiment alone, but must also consider the realities that cause them to leave their home countries.

— Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution IsmailElaborating on the balanced approach required for refugee policy.

Malaysia has been grappling with the presence of Rohingya refugees, who have fled persecution in Myanmar. While the government acknowledges the humanitarian aspect, concerns about national security and the strain on resources have also been raised. The petition's temporary removal highlights the sensitive and complex nature of the refugee issue in Malaysia.

The approach taken must be one of balanced security considerations and humanitarian principles.

— Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution IsmailFurther detailing the government's policy framework for refugees.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Utusan Malaysia in Malay. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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