Malaysia wants the "criminals" who oppress the Rohingya ethnic community in Myanmar to be brought immediately to the International Criminal Court (ICC), Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah said today.

Saifuddin said that although the matter could take a long time, Putrajaya is very serious about the issue as such oppression has forced the Rohingya ethnic community to become refugees all over the world.

“The Malaysian government is openly adhering to the principle that the criminals must be punished. The root problem is that the Rohingyas have been driven out from their own country.

“For us, the investigation into the case of Myanmar and the (humanitarian) crime is very important to be resolved at the root, so that the criminals can be dragged to court,” he told reporters after visiting the Rohingya Education Centre (REC) in Klang.

Saifuddin added the information from the Independent International Fact-finding Mission on Myanmar (IIFFMM) reported by the United Nations last month revealed that six individuals were allegedly involved in humanitarian crimes against Rohingyas in the country.

Therefore, Saifuddin said, Putrajaya wants to be involved in ensuring the "criminals" are brought to the ICC as soon as possible.

Brought to justice

In August last year, UN-appointed investigators recommended that Myanmar's top military commanders be brought to justice as it "undoubtedly amounts to the gravest crimes" against the general public, including genocide, under international law.

The IIFFMM report drew up a list of alleged perpetrators, including Myanmar’s commander-in-chief Min Aung Hlaing and five other military commanders.

Meanwhile, Saifuddin said, for the time being, Malaysia will still adhere to its principles to accept the Rohingya refugees, as most of them said they were too afraid to return to their home country for safety reasons.

“Our government standpoint is we don’t reject people (Rohingya refugees) from coming. 

"On humanitarian grounds, we never send (Rohingya refugee) boats away. We don’t have the capacity to do much more, but we never reject them. We want to do more to assist them," he said.

“We understand the concerns of our own people (about the presence of the Rohingya) but we do not have the heart to send them back to Myanmar just like that. 

"The majority of them want to return, but for the time being, they feel unsafe about going back."

Saifuddin also believes that if there are social problems related to Rohingya in the country, local authorities will take the necessary action.

88,880 in shelters

Saifuddin also pointed out that as many as 88,880 Rohingyas from all age groups took shelter in Malaysia and were registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). 

However, he noted that some refugees are unregistered, and that their numbers are unknown.

The minister said 25 percent of the refugees also received educational assistance provided by NGOs in certain locations.

“For instance, REC educational facilities were provided by the Jaringan Islam Global Malaysia Association. 

"Although this school does not have the same standard as national schools, the curriculum used is on par, and the personnel of the association have wide experience in terms of school administration and education,” he added.

Apart from the Klang branch, the REC, which was established in 2006, has three other branches in Permatang Pauh, Kuantan, and in Gombak, the last of which provides primary and secondary education to 724 Rohingya ethnic children.

- Bernama