Arakan News Agency
Penang CM reproaches Home Minister and Putrajaya for their lack of cooperation with Penang regarding the Rohingya issue.
KUALA LUMPUR: Human rights issues should not be politicised, Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng cautioned Home Minister Zahid Hamidi and Putrajaya.
In a press conference outside Parliament today, the DAP secretary-general said he was disappointed with the Federal Government’s unwillingness to cooperate with the Penang state government over the temporary housing of the Rohingya refugees.
This came in response to the media having criticised him in recent days for his apparent refusal to let the refugees into Penang, and to what he described was an attack both political and personal by Zahid on him.
“I don’t know how the international media managed to quote me on remarks that I had never made; I had not even talked to them on the matter,” said Lim.
He reiterated that Penang had consistently stood with the Federal Government on matters of national security, even in matters of land claims by other countries, and that they would cooperate and not politicise national security, no matter what their differences.
On that note, Lim then proceeded to slam the government for playing “petty politics” and not accepting the Penang state government’s apparent willingness to help with the Rohingya issue.
“The Penang state government has said that we are willing to cooperate with the Federal Government on matters of national security.”
“But we have not been informed. They have not told us anything. They have not briefed us at all,” Lim pointed out.
“I cannot be making any comments when we have no information whatsoever. So the suggestion by the IGP (Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar) is something new.
“So is that by Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. Completely new. Why is he then questioning Penang’s position?”
He pointed out that Kedah Menteri Besar Mukhriz Mahathir had come out with a public statement recently saying that Kedah would not welcome the Rohingyas due to their inability to house them.
“What is Zahid Hamidi going to say then? What is his response to that?” asked Lim.
“They have shown their unwillingness to cooperate with us by not giving us any information and not briefing us at all, instead launching personal political attacks.”
He said that Penang was unable to do anything without the Federal Government’s resources and the powers of immigration, the army and the navy.
He also repeated his earlier criticism that the 11th Malaysia Plan had left Penang out, and tacitly said that it was all a political game.
Source : freemalaysiatoday
