Delegates going through the identification scanner while proceeding to the conference venue. — Bernama photo
KUALA LUMPUR: Irregular movement of people in Southeast Asia will be one of the priority issues to be discussed during the 48th Asean Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) starting today, said Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman, noting that the Rohingya issue relates closely to this.
He said that as Asean chairman, Malaysia had taken the lead to discuss the issue when it called for a trilateral Ministerial Meeting which involved Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand in Putrajaya on May 20.
Anifah said this to Bernama in an interview in conjunction with the 48th Asean Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, Post-Ministerial Conferences and Related Meetings, which Malaysia is hosting from Aug 1 to 6.
Malaysia started the ball rolling on the issue when it called for the meeting following a report that 1,158 Bangladeshis and Rohingya from Myanmar, including women and children, landed illegally by boat in Langkawi, Kedah on May 10, with the figure reported to be the highest ever to date.
The trilateral meeting concluded with Indonesia and Malaysia agreeing to provide humanitarian assistance, by offering temporary shelter to 7,000 irregular migrants still at sea at that time.
Anifah read the joint statement after the meeting with his counterparts from Indonesia, Retno Marsudi and Thailand, General Tanasak Patimapragor in Putrajaya to address the plight of the irregular migrants.
Meanwhile, on May 25, Malaysian police announced the discovery of 139 graves in 28 temporary camps of human trafficking syndicates in Bukit Wang Burma, Wang Kelian near the Thai-Malaysia border.
Anifah asserted that Malaysia would continue to work closely with the affected countries and members of the international community in resolving the issue of illegal migrants, including human trafficking and people smuggling in the region.
“Malaysia also engages bilaterally with Myanmar on this issue,” he explained.
Anifah emphasised that Malaysia participated actively in the Special Meeting on Irregular Migration in the Indian Ocean in Bangkok on May 29 as well as at the Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) and the Asean Regional Forum SOM held in Kuching in June where the issue was discussed extensively.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak is scheduled to open the 48th AMM meeting on Tuesday.
Under its chairmanship this year, Malaysia has chosen the theme ‘Our People, Our Community, Our Vision.’ The Asean Community is also set to be established during Malaysia’s chairmanship by year-end. — Bernama