POLICE chief Inspector General Khalid Abu Bakar was quoted by the Star newspaper on Saturday as saying that Penang is a suitable location as a temporary resettlement site "to make it easier for us to move the migrants."
Penang is a state located in the north-west coast of the Malaysian peninsula. Part of Penang is on the mainland and part is an island with the same name. "The government may look to Penang to build the temporary settlement so that it will be easier for the agencies to manage the placement of Rohingya migrants," the Star quoted Khalid as saying. "We will be careful when documenting the migrants with the help of the immigration department," he added. Malaysia and Indonesia agreed earlier in the week to allow into their territories thousands of Rohingya and Bangladeshi migrants believed to be drifting aboard rickety boats in South-East Asian waters. The Malaysian navy and coast guard ships have yet to recover migrants' vessels in its territories since Kuala Lumpur decided Wednesday to allow them to land on its shores. Prime Minister Najib Razak ordered the navy and the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, which is equivalent to the coast guard, to actively search for migrants' vessels. Meanwhile, Singapore will make an initial contribution of 200,000 US dollars to support efforts by Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand to provide aid and shelter to thousands of migrants stranded at sea, the Foreign Affairs Ministry said Saturday. "The Singapore government is prepared to consider further assistance if there are specific requests," it said.
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