HOME Minister Hamzah Zainudin today said members of parliament who have been criticising him for his plan to round up undocumented migrants during the total lockdown should sponsor and help them get vaccinated against Covid-19.

By acting as the migrants’ sponsors, documents can be issued so that they can register for the vaccination.

“These MPs who care so much for them should sponsor them so that they can get documents. Bring them to meet us,” Hamzah told a press conference when visiting a temporary detention centre in Beranang, Selangor.

“Bring these migrants who don’t have documents to meet us. Bring them to the embassy, get the documents and then we can give them the vaccine.”

He said the purpose of arresting undocumented migrants, despite assurances by cabinet colleague Khairy Jamaluddin to the contrary, was so that they could be vaccinated.

Khairy, the coordinating minister for the national Covid-19 immunisation programme, previously said undocumented migrants would not be arrested when they came forward for vaccination.

Hamzah said he was acting in the interests of Malaysians to protect them from the coronavirus.

“We don’t want the virus to be spread by those living here illegally. It will be difficult to register them, to bring them to quarantine centres. It makes everything difficult,” he said.

On the contradiction between his position on undocumented migrants and Khairy’s, Hamzah said he had discussed the matter with the science, technology and innovation minister. 

“I’ve told Khairy that undocumented migrants will need sponsors (to get documentation),” he said.

Hamzah was criticised for wanting to round up undocumented migrants during the lockdown by 15 opposition MPs, Dewan Rakyat Deputy Speaker Azalina Othman Said, and infectious diseases expert Prof Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman, who said pursuing migrants will drive them into hiding and make vaccination difficult.

Hamzah also said the Immigration Department had repatriated 78,530 out of 97,891 undocumented migrants between December 21 last year and June 1. – June 3, 2021.