Malaysian Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah has criticised Asean humanitarian centre (AHA Centre) for its latest Myanmar report, which stated that Rohingyas can return to Rakhine as an conducive environment prevails there.
“The report was prepared by AHA Centre and Malayisa was critical on the report. AHA Centre should come with more comprehensive plan of action,” Abdullah said on Sunday (Jul 7) after talks with his Bangladesh counterpart AK Abdul Momen at the state guest house Padma.
Earlier in the day, he travelled to Cox’s Bazar and visited the Rohingyas living in camps.
“There is now definitely a trust deficit, people want to go back and until and unless they are assured that their passage of going back will be safe and done in the dignified manner, it will not going to happen,” the Malaysian minister, who arrived Dhaka on Saturday, told the media in Dhaka.
Abdullah, however, says the repatriation process has to start as soon as possible, but only after consulting it with the Rohingyas. “At the end of day, the Rohingya people need to be convinced that they should go back.”
Malaysia is trying its level best to convince Myanmar to take back its citizens, he said. “We are hoping that at the end of this year, there would be a proper and comprehensive plan for repatriation.”
On opening the Malaysian job market for Bangladeshis, Abdullah said, “We are a new administration, we are looking for ways and means of recruitment process.”
Bangladesh Foreign Minister Abdul Momen said Rohingya, trade and manpower dominated the discussions with his Malaysian counterpart.
“We have mulled striking a free trade agreement between the countries,” Momen said before adding that the Malaysian job market, which has been closed for Bangladeshis since December, is likely to open in August.