Kelantan orders data collection on Myanmar refugees across all districts

Kota Bharu, Oct 21 — The Kelantan government has mandated all district officers to gather data on the quantity and locations of Myanmar refugees across the entire state, according to Hilmi Abdullah, chairman of the State Local Government, Housing, Health and Environment Committee. Thus far, the state government has only acquired information from Tanah Merah district, which reported about 80 families comprising over 300 individuals dwelling in Kampung Padang Guchil, cultivating betel leaves on a 2-hectare plot.

District heads have been tasked with conducting a census within their respective villages to gather details about the settlement of the community. Abdullah emphasized to reporters that this data collection effort is vital for the state government to monitor the presence of Myanmar Rohingya refugees, including pinpointing their settlement zones throughout Kelantan.

He assured that the state government's jurisdiction primarily pertains to issues concerning land and premises, encompassing illegal encroachments on government land, breaches of private land use agreements, and adherence to business licenses issued by the local authority. However, if there are instances of encroachment on government land or violations of land conditions, the state can address these matters in accordance with applicable legal provisions.

Abdullah expressed hope that the issue of Myanmar refugees would not be solely entrusted to the state government, given the limited scope of its jurisdiction in managing the community. He further clarified that the state government does not wish for the settlement of Myanmar refugees to be concentrated in a single area, forming a distinct colony that could potentially pose problems in the future, as reported by Bernama.