Show proof Myanmar nationals a ‘financial burden’, home ministry told

Former DAP MP Charles Santiago has called on Malaysia's home minister to provide evidence supporting claims that Myanmar nationals pose a "financial burden" or "security threat" in the country. Santiago, co-chair of Asean Parliamentarians for Human Rights, urged the home ministry to reveal the financial costs of supporting Myanmar nationals and the security threats supposedly posed by the community.

The ministry has claimed that mismanagement in handling asylum-seekers, particularly from Myanmar, has resulted in a significant financial burden and social crisis in Malaysia. Yesterday, Malaysia began repatriating about 1,500 Myanmar nationals, including children, as part of a refugee repatriation programme, which is the first of 5,000 individuals Malaysia has agreed to repatriate from detention centers.

Santiago questioned whether the repatriated Myanmar nationals pose a greater threat than the two million undocumented migrant workers who have arrived in Malaysia over the past two decades. He emphasized that his request for the home ministry to substantiate its claims is not about abandoning immigration enforcement or national sovereignty, but rather about ensuring that national sovereignty and the rule of law operate alongside due process and evidence.