Rela ceased operations against illegal immigrants in March

PUTRAJAYA: The People's Volunteer Corps (Rela) has ceased operation against illegal immigrants since March, said director-general Datuk Mustafa Ibrahim.

The decision was made after considering the good and bad effects of the operation conducted since 2005, he added.

“There were allegations that Rela members collected money from illegal immigrants, farm owners, restaurant owners and employers at construction sites.

“We investigated them but some were baseless. If anyone still asks for protection money and conduct operations, please report to the authorities,” he said yesterday.

Mustafa said Rela was willing to assist enforcement agencies, such as the police and immigration, to check the influx of illegal immigrants.

Asked whether Rela would be involved with the amnesty programme for illegal immigrants, he said it would not be directly involved but was willing to help.

Mustafa also said Rela was not involved with a former Malaysian volunteers welfare body which offered post of officers and honorary members at RM5,000 to RM50,000.

He said Rela lodged a report at the Putrajaya police headquarters on June 13 denying its involvement with the body.

The actual status of the body is not known. It is believed to have been in operation since last month and was located in Precinct 9 and Sentul, Kuala Lumpur.

Source - Bernama

Malaysia: Arrest Sudanese President wanted for war crimes

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

News Release
 June 13, 2011

The Malaysian government should immediately withdraw its invitation to Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir, and arrest him if he travels to Malaysia, Amnesty International said today.

The Malaysian government announced yesterday that President al-Bashir will participate in the Langkawi International Dialogue, an economic forum being held in Malaysia from 19 to 21 June 2011.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for al-Bashir for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Darfur.

 "Malaysia should not turn itself into a port of call for fugitives from international justice" said Donna Guest, Deputy Asia Pacific Director at Amnesty International.

 "The Malaysian government should bar Bashir from its territory, and arrest him if he turns up."

Amnesty International welcomed Malaysia’s announcement on 21 March of its intention to become a state party to the Rome Statute and to recognize the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court. In his announcement, Malaysian Law Minister Nazri Aziz said, "This is a declaration that Malaysia rejects war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide."

When the UN Security Council referred the situation in Darfur to the ICC in 2005, it urged all states to cooperate fully with the Court. Although Malaysia is not yet party to the Rome Statute of the ICC, it should arrest Omar al-Bashir should he arrive in Malaysia, Amnesty International said.

"Malaysia’s invitation to Omar al-Bashir flies in the face of its decision to join the ICC," said Guest. "Instead of hosting people wanted by the ICC, Malaysia should reaffirm its commitment to justice."

For further information John Tackaberry,

please contact Media Relations

(613)744-7667 #236

Agents to help register, legalise foreign workers

nst.com.my

PUTRAJAYA: The Home Ministry will recruit agents to help facilitate in registering and legalising the illegal immigrants in the country.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said under the new programme, the immigrants would be registered using the biometric fingerprint scanning system before being re-assigned to the sectors which needed the foreign labour.

"Their biometric details will be taken and they must return to their home countries when their stay expires," he said after officiating the sponsorship presentation of the second General Police Special Equipment Exhibition and Convention (GPEC) Asia 2011 at the Putrajaya Maritime Centre yesterday.

Hishammuddin urged companies, associations and bodies keen to become agents to apply online on the ministry's official website but warned that strict vetting would be carried out to ensure only genuine agents were appointed.
"The companies should not act as outsourcing companies as their role is to help the government reach out to the illegal immigrants. We wish to avoid similar problems faced in the past when we outsourced these tasks.

"Enough of taking advantage of innocent people, regardless of whether they are foreign or local,"Hishammuddin said.

Also present at the event were ministry secretary-general Tan Sri Mahmood Adam and Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar.

The biometric fingerprint scanning system, which was implemented on June 1, requires foreigners entering and leaving the country to have both index fingers scanned at entry and exit points, instead of just having their passports stamped. It is now implemented at 96 entry points in the country.

Yesterday, the Home Ministry's immigration affairs department issued a statement on a "total solution programme for illegal immigrants", where companies, associations and bodies were invited to become agents in facilitating the registration process of illegal immigrants.

The programme which include registering and providing amnesty, is aimed collecting statistics on the illegal immigrant population in the country and to allow them to go home without being penalised.

US Senator John McCain warns Myanmar it risks Arab-style uprising

(CNN) -- U.S. Sen. John McCain warned Myanmar's new military-backed government to make democratic reforms or possibly face the type of revolution that has swept through Arab nations.

"The winds of change are now blowing, and they will not be confined to the Arab world," McCain told reporters in the former capital, Rangoon.

"Governments that shun evolutionary reforms now will eventually face revolutionary change later. This choice may be deferred. It may be delayed. But it cannot be denied."

McCain said in a telephone interview on CNN International that he was not predicting such an uprising in the country, but rather making clear that political change is sweeping the globe.

McCain wrapped up a two day "assessment" trip in Myanmar in which he met with senior leaders in the new government.

He said it was clear "the new government wants a better relationship with the United States" but called for "concrete actions" before the U.S. could consider lifting sanctions.

Such actions would include access to the country's prisons by the Red Cross, the unconditional release of more than 2,000 political prisoners, and guarantees of safety for pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi as she travels around the country for an upcoming political tour, McCain said during the telephone interview.

"U.S. policy should be that we're glad to have a dialogue, but we need an agenda for reform," he said.

McCain, who described Nobel Prize-winner Suu Kyi as "a personal hero of mine for decades," met with her Thursday and promised U.S. support for her efforts to bring democracy.

Suu Kyi spent most of the past 20 years under house arrest.

McCain said he had a long discussion with the activist during their visit, including the question of whether the United States should ease sanctions against Myanmar.

"I think that her position was very clear ... that progress could be made but only in return for further reforms that need to be made by the government," McCain told CNN.

During his visit, the senator also met with opposition and ethnic minority leaders.

McCain, who had spent six years as a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War, also met with recently-released political prisoners, some held for 20 years.

The longtime critic of Myanmar's military regime had been denied visas for the past 15 years and termed the granting of his recent visa "one illustration of change."

McCain arrived in Singapore on Friday for an annual intergovernmental conference on Asian security after his visit.

UNHCR raps Australia over child refugees

Herald Sun

THE UN refugees agency today criticised Australia's plans to include children among 800 asylum seekers to be sent to Malaysia to have their refugee claims assessed.


"We are not able to lend our support to the text as it currently stands because of the absence of the operating protection safeguards we have been calling for," said Adrian Edwards, spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, referring to a draft memorandum of understanding between Australia and Malaysia.

"UNHCR has always stipulated that one of our specific requirements with regard to the transfers is that protection safeguards are in place to protect vulnerable groups, especially unaccompanied children," he added.

In a deal between Malaysia and Australia, unaccompanied minors will be included in a plan to send 800 asylum seekers to Malaysia for processing.

In exchange, Australia will accept about 4000 registered refugees from the Southeast Asian nation.
The plan has been severely criticised by rights groups because Malaysia is not a signatory to the UN refugee convention, and over concerns that asylum seekers sent to Malaysia could be mistreated.