MELBOURNE: Malaysian High Commissioner to Australia Datuk Salman Ahmad has strongly criticised certain Australian MPs over their “negative portrayal” of Malaysia in connection with the people-swap plan.
“We see it as unfair that this democratic debate has been undertaken at the expense of Malaysia’s good reputation and its solid values,” he said in a letter to Australian parliamentarians which was sent to Bernama on Monday, after its contents were leaked to the Australian media.
Salman said he was “very concerned with the sustained negative portrayal of my country in the Parliament, which has extended to the media and the general public”.
“While it is truly understandable that all sides of the Parliament want to employ the most effective policy for the country to protect its borders against illegal arrivals, its action in bringing down and tarnishing the good name of another country is uncalled for,” he said.
He said Malaysia had entered into the arrangement for the people swap with the sincere intention of combating “the heinous crimes” of people smuggling and trafficking which was consistent with agreed regional processes.
The arrangement was also decided after extensive consultations with the United Nations High Commissioner For Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organisation for Migration, he said, adding that the organisations would be vigorously involved in providing necessary support and operational assistance in implementing the arrangement.
Under the asylum seeker swap plan, Australia would send 800 asylum seekers to Malaysia and in return, take in several thousand refugees aimed at deterring illegal boat arrivals.
It was struck down by the Australian High Court, and the government has not been able to win sufficient parliamentary numbers to get it through.
The opposition has strongly condemned the Malaysia deal on the grounds that people’s human rights would not be protected, pointing to Malaysia’s refusal to sign the refugee convention. — Bernama