MALAYSIA is willing to work with Japan to provide educational aid to Rohingya refugee children, Foreign Affairs Minister Saifuddin Abdullah said in Bangkok yesterday.

While Japan has not outlined its proposals, it has shown its interest in wanting to provide education for refugees currently housed in camps at Cox’s Bazaar in Bangladesh, he said.

“It is in this regard that we want to seek Japanese aid in helping out Rohingya children in Malaysia,” Saifuddin said.

“I think Malaysia can negotiate with Japan (for educational assistance). I told Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono that we are looking for the best way to help Rohingya children in Malaysia.

“We believe the way to help educate the Rohingyas is through civil society organisations (CSOs). As a government, we can help facilitate CSOs in obtaining finances which includes (through) international funding,” he said after meeting Taro on the sidelines of the 52nd Asean foreign ministers’ meeting.

Taro, who visited Bangladesh earlier this week, went to the Rohingya camp south of Cox’s Bazaar to see the conditions in the area. 

Saifuddin said Japan is keen to see a smooth repatriation process of the Rohingya from Bangladesh to Myanmar.

Myanmar and Bangladesh signed a memorandum of understanding on the Rohingya repatriation. However, there have been concerns about security and citizenship status which is why the refugees are refusing to return.

Asked if handing out identity cards to Rohingya refugees would voluntarily bring them back to Myanmar, Saifuddin said that “for the Rohingya, citizenship is probably the most important issue for them”.

He reiterated that the process of sending back Rohingya refugees should have a Rohingya perspective.

“There is clearly a trust deficit and we need to overcome that. That would be premium.

“Malaysia has always been consistent, calling for consultation to be made together with the Rohingya refugees”.

According to Amnesty International, more than 750,000 Rohingya refugees, mostly women and children, left Myanmar and crossed into Bangladesh after the Myanmar army launched an attack on the Muslim minority community in August 2017. More than 1.2 million fled to Bangladesh. – Bernama, August 2, 2019.