KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's strong humanitarian values are unintentionally encouraging illegal immigrants, particularly from the Rohingya ethnic group, to risk their lives to enter the country.
Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia's (UPNM) Department of International Relations, Security, and Law, Professor Dr Mohd Mizan Mohammad Aslam said that the Rohingya were determined to reach Malaysia by any means, even resorting to paying syndicates to sabotage their boats in an attempt to reach Malaysian waters.
"When they are stranded at sea, we are compelled to assist them on humanitarian grounds, even though we know this is done intentionally. We cannot bear to let them perish or face disaster at sea," he said.
While acknowledging the country's high level of humanitarian values, he said that the Rohingya took advantage of Malaysia's kindness.
He further highlighted that when the Rohingya enter neighbouring countries, they often use them as a transit point to reach Malaysia.
"They will not remain in those countries; they will leave for Malaysia. For example, if they arrive in Aceh, their next destination is Malaysia," he told Berita Harian.
To address the issue, Mohd Mizan suggested that Malaysia, as the Asean chair, work with the Myanmar government to find a solution, including supporting Bangladesh in strengthening Bashan Char Island as a refugee settlement.
"We must prevent them from entering Malaysian waters because once they are here, we face numerous issues, including human rights concerns, humanitarian aid, and UN High Commissioner for Refugees interventions," he said.
He recommended that Malaysia redirect the Rohingya to Bashan Char Island after they leave Myanmar, stressing that the poor conditions in camps like Kutupalong encouraged them to seek alternatives such as Malaysia.
In response, Mohd Mizan proposed several measures to deter entry, including pushing boats back to international waters and warning them against attempting to enter Malaysian territory again.
He also called for enhanced cooperation between Malaysia, Bangladesh, and Myanmar to intercept or stop boats before they reach Malaysian shores.
"This issue cannot be entirely eradicated due to the supply-and-demand dynamic," he said, urging Malaysia to strengthen law enforcement and continuously intercept and arrest those attempting to enter.
"Malaysia must ensure it is no longer a preferred destination for the Rohingya to avoid further problems," he added.
The issue is ongoing, with the most recent incident occurring last Friday when a boat carrying 196 Rohingya refugees landed at Teluk Yu Public Beach in Langkawi, where they were detained by authorities.
On Saturday, two more boats carrying some 300 illegal immigrants from Myanmar were turned away by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency near Rebak Island, Langkawi.