The government will recognise Burmese Rohingyas in Malaysia as refugees, said Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz.

"I've spoken with the chief secretary. We are initiating and working on the implementation of the decision," he said when met at the Parliament lobby yesterday.

However, he did not state when the policy will come into effect.

Last month, Nazri had announced that the government will accord Burmese Rohingyas refugee status, a move welcomed by several quarters.

However, Home Minister Azmi Khalid on Monday confused matters when he said that no final decision has been made.

This sparked off fears among the Rohingya community, who urged the government to grant them the status based on humanitarian grounds.

Azmi in the dark?

Meanwhile, Nazri said this issue falls under the jurisdiction of the Prime Minister's Department.

"This (refugee status) is not under his (Azmi's) ministry, it's under the national security department," he added.

According to the minister, Azmi may not have been informed of the decision yet.

The Rohingyas are a distinct ethnic group that has been rendered stateless by the Burmese junta. Back home, they face forceful eviction, relocation and confiscation of property. They have been seeking refuge in Malaysia since the 1980s.

According to the United Nations High Commissioner of Refugees (UNHCR), there are some 10,000 Rohingyas here.