In our saving of Rohingya lives, don’t 'gift' Myanmar an easy pass - Hadi

PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang said the humanitarian aspect of saving Rohingya should not be limited to saving their lives but also their homeland.

He said Myanmar, which stands accused of persecuting the minority Muslim race and disacknowledging their citizenship, should not be “rewarded” by being allowed an easy pass to “empty their lands” of the Rohingya people.

In a post of his musings on Facebook, the PAS chief said the world bears the responsibility of saving refugees when defending basic human rights.

However, the international community are also obligated to save Arakan, he said, using the previous name for the region now known as the Rakhine state in Myanmar.

“It must be seen, not just from the humanitarian angle of saving their lives, but (we) must also save their homeland.

“Do not forsake the struggle for their land to accord Myanmar the free gift of conquering (Rakhine state) easily or agree with the guise of saving the ethnic Rohingyas so as to give an easy pass to the cruel party to empty their land.

“Worse if there are those who form syndicates upon this situation to make it easier for the Rohingyas to become refugees, for nefarious reasons,” he said.

Hence, the Marang parliamentarian said it also was “illogical” that Malaysia is burdened with the expectation of accepting and aiding the marginalised group, especially as the world’s countries impose lockdowns and border restrictions against the dangers of the Covid-19 pandemic.

He said it was unfair for purported freedom fighters to argue based on the name of humanitarianism that is unjust in all aspects and with wider consideration.

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