Myanmar should deal with the Rohingya community internally instead of forcing it on its Asean neighbours, said Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.

 

"Don't they have the compassion to settle this problem internally, to the point this burden has to be dealt with by Asean?" he asked.

 

Speaking to reporters in Glenmarie, Selangor, the deputy premier said the issue was a delicate one to handle.

 

"We can't send the wrong signal, that they (the refugees) can come here and be welcomed [...] because then hundreds of thousands will come here like what happened during the Vietnam (war)," he said.

 

Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia have been turning away Rohingya refugees fleeing violence and persecution at home.

 

Migrant activists estimate that this has left between 6,000 to 8,000 people stranded at sea.

 

Immigration has detained over 500 of them together with Bangladeshi migrants in Langkawi.

 

Civil society and the opposition have been highly critical of the government’s indifferent attitude to the urgent refugee crisis precipitating at Malaysia’s borders.

 

MPs on a humanitarian visit to one refugee camp in Kedah yesterday were turned away by the authorities.

Muhyiddin said the cabinet has decided that Foreign Minister Anifah Aman, will work together with his Thai and Indonesian counterparts to work out a solution with Myanmar.

"We have handed this matter to Wisma Putra to take work out the steps that can be taken by our Asean partners," he said.

Muhyiddin had earlier attended the launch of the 10th TSM Golf Challenge, and handed over his old set of golf clubs to a junior golfer.