PETALING JAYA: Malaysia will go ahead with its refugee-swapping programme with other countries after the deal with Australia failed to materialise.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said this was necessary to counter human trafficking that had become a major problem.
“Malaysia will proceed with other countries on the programme because the method we have now with the United Nations Commissioner for Refugees (UNCHR) is not working,” Hishammuddin said during a visit to the Youth and Sports Ministry's Intelligent Marksmanship Training Simulation System in Bukit Kiara near here yesterday.
He said Malaysia was prepared to work on the swap programme with any country that was a source, transit or destination of asylum seekers and refugees.
Malaysia and Australia signed a deal in July last year to swap refugees with asylum seekers.
Under the pact, Australia was to send 800 asylum seekers to Malaysia over the next four years in exchange for the resettling of 4,000 registered refugees who were currently here.
However, the plan did not take off due to strong criticisms from Opposition politicians in both countries and human rights groups.
Hishammuddin said the swap method was a workable solution.
He said such a method was necessary given the large number in deaths of Australia-bound refugees and asylum seekers.
Malaysia, he said, did not want to point fingers or say “I told you so” but wanted to implement a method to prevent anything untoward from happening.
“The swap model will counter and reduce human trafficking,” he stressed.
During the signing of the agreement with Malaysia last year, Australian Immigration Minister Chris Bowen said 800 asylum seekers sent by Australia would be allowed to legally work in Malaysia and have access to education and healthcare.
On another matter, Hishammudin said a mandatory jail term for errant motorists who caused traffic deaths could be considered if it was a way to lower the number of fatal road accidents.
He said other methods, such as pleading to road users to be careful, had been futile.
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