TEKONG ABANDONS ROHINGYA REFUGEES
Civil defence force believes they are victims of a humantrafficking syndicate
VILLAGERS at Sungai Belati beach in Sungai Baru here woke up to weak, hungry and dishevelled Rohingya refugees covered in mud arriving on the shore, including children as young as 7.
About 7.30am yesterday, 34 Rohingya refugees, including nine children, made their way through the sea and mud to the shore.
According to a source from the Malaysian Civil Defence Force, the refugees were abandoned 500m from the beach by their tekong, believed to be part of a human-trafficking syndicate.
“Some villagers heading out to the sea were shocked to see people covered in mud trying to make their way to the beach. The parents were cradling the children and many were crying,” he said.
The source said villagers comprising fishermen, staff from the Perlis Power Plant Sdn Bhd and members of the Malaysian Civil Defence Force helped them get to the shore safely.
He said the villagers provided food and drinks to the refugees, who were weak and hungry.
“They looked very hungry. We believe they had not eaten anything for two days during the journey. We gave them bread and some packet drinks.”
Yesterday, Harian Metro disclosed that illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, Myanmar and the Rohingya Muslim ethnic community were smuggled into the country and entered via “rat lanes” believed to be located near Bukit Kayu Hitam, Kedah, and Wang Kelian, Perlis.
They were believed to have been charged between RM5,000 and RM16,000 each by the syndicate and kept inside an abandoned factory in Napoh, Jitra, as a transit point before being taken to Penang to seek employment opportunities.