ROHINGYA CRISIS
Malaysia to build field hospital
The facility in Coxs Bazar to cover 3 lakh people
DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENT
Malaysia is going to construct a big field hospital in Coxs Bazar in a month that will be able to provide health coverage to 3 lakh people. Besides, Kuala Lumpur has reiterated its support and expressed its solidarity with Bangladesh with regard to the ongoing crisis created due to violence by the Myanmar security forces and local Buddhists against Rohingyas in Rakhine state. Malaysia will build a big hospital in Coxs Bazar, Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali told reporters after a meeting with visiting Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi at the state guest house Padma yesterday.
To a question, he said that the hospital, a big one, will be able to offer health services to nearly three lakh people. Very soonAs soon as possible, he said while replying to another question. In a month time, said the Malaysian deputy prime minister, who arrived yesterday on a two-day trip to have firsthand
information about the Rohingya situation. Since August 25, nearly 5.5 lakh Rohingyas had to flee their homes in Rakhine to Bangladesh to escape the atrocities of the Myanmar security forces alongside local Buddhist mobs. This figure is in addition to about 4.5 lakh Rohingyas already living in Bangladesh for decades.
The Malaysian deputy prime minister will visit Coxs Bazar today, said Foreign Minister Ali, adding that Malaysia has expressed its support and solidarity with Bangladesh.
When asked what political role Kuala Lumpur can play through ASEAN of which Malaysia and Myanmar are members, Deputy Prime Minister Hamidi said, We have been discussing about it. He was full of praise for Bangladesh to handle the Rohingya crisis.
Foreign Minister pointed out that Myanmar security forces and auxiliary ethnic Rakhine armed vigilantes are carrying out an organised and systematic violence, arson and atrocities against Rohingya civilians to depopulate the northern Rakhine State and to prevent their possible return, said a foreign ministry press release. Ali mentioned that Bangladesh has given shelter to the forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals temporarily on humanitarian ground and they have to go back to their homes in the Rakhine State at the earliest possible.
The root of the problem is in Myanmar and the solution also lies there, he said.
Referring to the recent visit of the Myanmar Union Minister at the State Counsellors Office and the discussion on return of the Rohingyas, he mentioned that major issues of concern remain left to be addressed said the minister.
Agreed principles and criteria of 1992 needs to be revised to address the current challenge, and international community and the UN agencies should be allowed to support the repatriation process, he added.
The foreign minister appreciated Malaysias bold position in support of persecuted Rohingyas, initiative of providing humanitarian assistance to the Rohingyas and welcomed proposal for setting up of a field hospital in Coxs Bazar to provide medical care to around 300,000 Rohingyas. Malaysian deputy prime minister applauded Bangladesh for giving the distressed Rohingyas shelter and Bangladeshs all out effort to provide them with humanitarian assistance. He mentioned that Malaysia is deeply concerned at the disturbing developments and took strong position on the Rohingya issue in the UN and other regional forums. Malaysia supports involvement of international community and UN agencies in the repatriation process.
Employment of Bangladeshi workforce in Malaysia featured prominently in the meeting. Bangladesh thanked Malaysia for including Bangladesh as an official source country for recruitment of foreign workforce.
Both sides discussed present status of implementation of the G2G+ mechanism for recruiting Bangladeshi workers and agreed to speed up the whole process of recruitment. Bangladesh and Malaysia agreed to address all issues that delay the process and redress it through the Joint Working Group.
Minister for Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment Nurul Islam, who was present at the meeting, thanked Malaysia for allowing irregular worker to regularize themselves through re-hiring program. He conveyed Bangladeshs readiness to provide trained security guards to Malaysia. Malaysia showed interest to recruit Security Guards from Bangladesh.
Malaysian minister for human resources Richard Riot Anak Jaem and state minister for foreign affairs Shahriar Alam were also present during the meeting.
