GEORGE TOWN : Well-wishers gathered here in the evening in solidarity for thousands of migrants adrift at the open seas near Malaysia.
A candle light vigil was held to pray for the safety of persecuted Rohingyas and Bangladeshis seeking shelter away from their homeland in Mynamar.
The prayer session at the Speakers Square in Esplanade was organised by Penang Stop Human Trafficking Campaign (PSHTC) with four other non-governmental organisations (NGO) to show moral support behind the migrants seeking refuge in the Southeast Asia.
The other NGOs took part in the vigil were Suaram Penang, Aliran, Citizens International and Persatuan Sahabat Prihatin Pulau Pinang.
PSHTC spokesperson James Lockheed lauded the government's move to provide humanitarian aid for the boat people.
"Let us bring them to safely and treat them with respect and dignity," he said.
The vigil also included renditions by teenagers Joram and Justin Bonus who belted out two songs 'Heal the World' by Michael Jackson, and 'Imagine' by John Lennon, respectively.
It was reported that some 1,158 Bangladeshis and Rohingya refugees landed illegally by boat in Langkawi, Kedah on May 10, with the figures reported to be the largest ever to date.
Media reports claimed that there were over 8,000 Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshis still at sea in their attempts to enter Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand illegally.