TANAH MERAH: The government is planning to set up two more Baitul Mahabbah (shelters) for children below 10 years old whose parents are detained at Immigration depots.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said today the new Baitul Mahabbah centres would be set up in Kedah and Johor.
He said four Baitul Mahabbah had been opened with the latest launched in Kelantan today.
"There are three Baitul Mahabbah in Nilai, Negri Sembilan, Papar, Sabah, and Miri, Sarawak, which housed 340 children.
"However, 80 of the children have been sent to their home countries and the rest are waiting for the documentation process to be completed.
"Apart from the four Baitul Mahabbah, we plan to set up two more in Kedah and Johor soon.
"The government has spent about RM10 million, including for logistics purposes, for the centres."
He said this at a press conference after launching Kelantan's Baitul Mahabbah at the state Immigration's detention centre here today.
Present was Immigration director-general Datuk Ruslin Jusoh.
In principle, Saifuddin said, Malaysia accepted foreigners but they must obey the country's laws.
"The laws apply to everyone, including those who have documents but misuse them by overstaying here.
"The authorities detain these foreigners during their operations and will send them back to their home countries.
"But the Madani government is a caring administration. We take care of these children and give them shelter."
Saifuddin said the Kelantan Baitul Mahabbah housed 17 children, including a newborn baby.
The Human Rights Watch has urged the government, especially the Immigration Department, to stop detaining migrant children at detention centres.
In its report, "We Can't See the Sun: Malaysia's Arbitrary Detention of Migrants and Refugees", the global human rights watchdog said the government's practice of arbitrarily detaining children at Immigration detention centres violated international laws.
It said such detentions, whether they involved only the children or those detained along with their family members, are contrary to the children's rights.
The report also said such centres were not in the children's best interests as they could have long-term impacts on their mental health and development.