PROPOSAL TO ALLOW REFUGEES TO WORK NEEDS FURTHER STUDY, SAYS MINISTER

JOHOR BAHARU (Malaysia), Feb 25 (Bernama) -- The proposal to allow refugees
to work needs futher study as it has the potential to give rise to new problems,
said Human Resource Minister Dr S.Subramaniam.

He said his ministry did not want Malaysia to become a magnet for refugees
if the proposal was approved by the government.

Subramaniam told this to reporters after launching a job placement programme
for the less fortunate and disabled people, here Thursday.

According to him, his ministry had given its views on the proposal, which
had been made by several quarters recently, but till now the government had yet
to make a decision on it.

Subramaniam said there were some 73,000 refugees in Malaysia presently with
most of them from Myanmar and that in principle, all of them were not allowed to
work.


He said refugees who come to Malaysia had to be registered with the United
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and were provided documents to
remain in the country for a certain period of time after which they would be
sent to a third country.

Subramaniam also said his ministry was in the process of setting up 10 job
centres throughout the country to help those seeking employment.

He said the number of such centres would be increased in stages and that
their function was not the same as the manpower department.

-- BERNAMA