Phee: House Rohingyas rescued from sea at vacant State NS camps

GEORGE TOWN: The Penang Welfare and Caring Society committee chairman Phee Boon Poh has suggested that the nationwide vacant National Service (NS) camps be utilised to house the Rohingya migrants.
He said placement of the migrants should be spread throughout the nationwide NS camps given the facilities available.
"They can immediately be placed there," he said when asked by reporters on the issue relating to the migrants.
He cited an example saying Penang has four such camps and it could serve as shelter for the migrants.
The issue arose after IGP Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar suggested Penang be used to temporarily house the migrants, mostly Rohingyas, after they were rescued from sea.
Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has since sarcastically questioned why Putrajaya has suddenly remembered Penang when it came to housing displaced migrants but has been silent on developing the state in the 11th Malaysian Plan (11MP).
The Rohingyas have been fleeing sectarian violence in Myanmar, which is governed by a military junta, which has stripped them of citizenship.
Phee added that the federal government should consult the state over the matter beforehand, as the latter is willingly to work with them.
"All the stakeholders should be consulted," he said.