'Punishing all Rohingya for a few individuals' actions unjust' - Abim

SHAH ALAM - Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (Abim) has clarified that its defence of refugee communities, including the Rohingya, is not blind support but is grounded in principles of humanity, justice, rule of law and social harmony.

Its president Ahmad Fahmi Mohd Samsudin said Abim does not deny that problems may exist within refugee communities, but stressed that any wrongdoing must be addressed through proper legal channels rather than through blanket generalisations.

"We defend them on the basis of humanitarian and justice principles. At the same time, we also look at issues related to the rule of law and social harmony.

"When we discuss the Rohingya issue today, it does not mean ABIM denies any problems that may arise within the refugee community itself," he told Sinar on Monday.

Fahmi, whose organisation works directly at the grassroots level, said Abim supports firm action against any individual who commits crimes, breaks the law or disturbs public order.

"We have never said that we are granting this community immunity or impunity. Anyone who commits wrongdoing in the context of present-day Malaysia must face legal action and it should be seen in that context," he said.

He cautioned, however, that the bigger issue was the tendency to link the wrongdoings of a few individuals to the entire refugee community.

Punishing all refugees for the actions of a handful is unjust, he said, particularly toward vulnerable groups such as women, children and the elderly.

Speaking on the refugee issue more broadly, Fahmi said Abim's primary concern is the emergence of vigilantism, as well as calls for hatred, threats of violence and the dehumanisation of refugee communities.

"They remain human beings with inherent dignity and fundamental rights that must be upheld," he said.

He said Abim sees itself as a stakeholder that must work alongside the government, other NGOs, local communities and refugee communities to find a balanced approach in addressing the issue.

Malaysians have every right to be concerned about security, economic and employment issues, as well as social harmony, he acknowledged, while refugees too have humanitarian rights that must be fairly considered.

He also called on the government to manage the refugee issue systematically through clear data, sound policy and strict enforcement.

"I see efforts at the government level to take over the role previously played by UNHCR, particularly in terms of data collection and refugee records," he said.

Fahmi also noted that the assumption that all refugees from Myanmar are Rohingya is inaccurate, as several other ethnic groups are also present in Malaysia, including the Chin, Kachin and Shan.

On ABIM's approach, he said the organisation has never taken the position that all refugees are in the right, nor does it wish to let sentiment override humanitarian values.

"We are not saying all refugees are without fault, and we also do not want to be like someone who feeds strangers while their own family starves. If there is crime, arrest and prosecute according to the law," he said.

He noted that Malaysia faces a unique challenge as some refugees in the country have been here for generations, spanning decades.

Although Malaysia has not signed any refugee convention, the country has prior experience managing refugees from Vietnam, Cambodia, Bosnia and Syria.

The Rohingya situation is different, he said, as their status has been denied in their country of origin to the extent that they have no citizenship, documentation or official recognition.

Any isolated incident must therefore be handled on a case-by-case basis, rather than used as a pretext to stoke xenophobia or hatred toward an entire community, he added.

Fahmi also stressed the importance of education and guidance for refugee communities, particularly the younger generation, to help them understand Malaysian culture, sensitivities and rules they are expected to observe.

Education through refugee schools and engagement with family heads and community leaders can help raise awareness of civil rights, laws and the importance of preserving social harmony, he said.