DPM: Holistic approach needed to tackle Bukit Malut illegal settlement issue

SHAH ALAM: The government will find a holistic approach to tackle the influx of immigrants and mushrooming of illegal settlements in Bukit Malut, Langkawi.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said swift action must also be taken to prevent more illegal immigrants from making the area their home.

“We have discovered that (there are about 5,000 illegal immigrants living in Bukit Malut) and Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad (who is also Langkawi MP) is aware of this.

“I was made to understand that they have been there for a long time too. The government will look into ways to resolve this holistically. These refugees have their own way of living.

“We will look into methods to put them in order as well as resolve the hygiene problem and their living conditions,” she said today at the Malaysia Crime Prevention Foundation (MCPF) Hari Raya celebrations, here. She is MCPF chairman.

Dr Wan Azizah was asked to comment on Berita Harian’s frontpage today which highlighted the worry of nearby residents over the growing number of illegal immigrants at the illegal settlement.

The report said that the stilt house settlement, opened by Myanmar refugees in the 1980s, has since swelled and reportedly enroached into a nearby hillside and the Bukit Malut mangrove forest reserve.

It also likened the illegal settlement to squatters in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and Mexico City.

On a separate matter, Dr Wan Azizah said the government was looking into the possibility of increasing the annual allowance of neighbourhood watch groups nationwide.

However, the ability to provide the additional funds, she added, would depend on the Finance Ministry.

Related Articles