THE Penang government will continue to monitor areas with concentrations of Rohingya communities following recent developments in Penaga, although Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow clarified that the relocation of the group was not a state-led operation.
Speaking to reporters today, Chow said those involved had voluntarily chosen to leave Penaga and travel to Kuala Lumpur to seek assistance from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
“At the moment, these operations are not conducted by the government. In this case, what happened is the people wanted to move and seek assistance from UNHCR, so they left and went over to Kuala Lumpur,” he said.
When asked whether the relocation was voluntary, Chow said he believed assistance had been provided to facilitate their journey.
“I believe there was assistance provided to arrange buses for them,” he added.
Commenting on concerns raised by residents, Chow acknowledged that the state government had received feedback from locals regarding the presence of Rohingya communities in certain areas, saying the situation had affected the surrounding social and economic environment.
“We have heard the reactions from residents towards the presence of the Rohingya community in their areas, which has indeed had an impact on the local social and economic environment. The Rohingya community understood the sentiments of the residents and chose to relocate elsewhere,” he said.
Chow said there are several locations in Penang where Rohingya communities are known to reside, including Penaga and parts of Bagan, adding that the state government would continue to keep the situation under observation.
“There are certain areas in Penang where they are present. Besides Penaga, we understand there are also groups in the Bagan area.”
“We will continue to monitor the situation,” he said.
On whether complaints had been lodged directly with the state government, Chow said such cases were not frequent, noting that residents would typically raise their concerns with the Village Community Management Council (MPKK) or the police.
Asked whether the state would pay closer attention following the recent incident, Chow stressed that everyone in the country must respect Malaysian laws and use the proper channels.
“As the Prime Minister has said, we have laws in this country. We cannot allow actions that affect the lives of the people, obstruct traffic and create public inconvenience. Those who come here must respect our laws and follow the proper channels,” he said.
Chow also called on the UNHCR to play a more active role in monitoring the issue, particularly in light of the increasing number of refugees, which he said could pose greater management challenges.
“I think UNHCR also needs to monitor this issue because the growing numbers will create greater challenges in managing such communities,” he added.
Story by Kevin Vimal
Pix by Muhammad Iqbal Hamdan
Video by Siti Nuratikah Rahmat