The Penang government is watching areas with sizeable Rohingya communities more closely after 121 refugees voluntarily left a temporary settlement in Penaga, Kuala Muda last weekend.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the relocation was not a government operation but had been initiated by the Rohingya community themselves, with transport arranged to carry them to Kuala Lumpur where they sought help from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). “In this case, what happened was the people wanted to move and seek assistance from UNHCR, so they left and went over to Kuala Lumpur,” Malay Mail reported Chow as saying at a press conference in Bayan Lepas on 28 July.
North Seberang Perai police chief ACP Anuar Abdul Rahman said the move was prompted by growing competition over economic opportunities and living space as the settlement expanded. The Star reported that the settlement at the former tsunami site in Penaga had seen an increase in the Rohingya population, creating pressures that led to the voluntary departure.
Chow said the state government was aware of concerns from local residents about the social and economic impact of the settlement. “We have heard from the local residents on their views on the presence of the Rohingya community in their area, which has had an impact on the local social and economic environment,” he said.
The relocation was coordinated by the National Unity Department, the National Security Council, the state government, local community representatives and Rohingya representatives. Hundreds of refugees arrived in Kuala Lumpur on three buses from Penang and gathered in front of the UNHCR office in Jalan Bukit Petaling.
Chow noted there were other areas in Penang with Rohingya communities, including parts of Bagan, and that the state would continue monitoring developments. Complaints about the settlements were generally channelled through Village Community Management Councils (MPKK) or the police rather than directly to the state government.
He echoed Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s earlier remarks that everyone in Malaysia must comply with the law. “We have laws in this country. We cannot allow actions that affect the lives of the people, obstruct traffic and create other problems,” he said.
Chow also called on UNHCR to play a more active role in monitoring the refugee population, warning that a further increase in numbers could create greater management challenges for authorities.
