MP urges Malaysia to create controlled Rohingya camps modeled on 1978 Pulau Bidong site

In a parliamentary session on the Budget 2027, Ahmad Fadhli Shaari urged the government to set up controlled settlement centres for Rohingya refugees, using the 1978 Pulau Bidong camp as a template. He said the influx is straining residents, noting a school built by refugees in his constituency, and proposed studies for camps ranging from 10,000 to 200,000 occupants under appointed officers. Fadhli also called for harsher measures, including pursuing offenders.

Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail responded that the UNHCR's online registration complicates management, as applicants can enter on tourist or social passes, and cautioned the public to report problems rather than take action themselves. He contrasted one outlet multi-national refugee situation with Malaysia's past handling of Vietnamese refugees, which involved repatriation linked to ASEAN entry. The debate recalled Pulau Bidong's peak of more than 40,000 residents and its eventual closure after an international resettlement plan.