Rohingya Refugee Pines For Wife, Child Detained At Immigration Depot

By Mohd Haikal Mohd Isa ALOR SETAR (Kedah, Malaysia), June 25 (Bernama) -- In this blessed month of Ramadan, a former detainee at a human trafficking camp in Padang Besar, Thailand longs to meet his wife and child, currently detained at the Belantik immigration depot in Sik. Such is Muzamil Hamid Hussein's desperation and longing for his family that he hopes the Malaysian authorities show some compassion in the holy month to fulfill his wish. According to the Rohingya refugee, his wife, Menara Mohamad Shafi, 22, and their son, Nur Mustafa, two years and five months were nabbed last month when the boat they were travelling in, landed in Langkawi (in Kedah state) last month. "The last time I met them was about a year ago before I left home in Maungdaw, Myanmar by boat to head for Malaysia. "I hope the Malaysian authorities have some compassion in this month of Ramadan and on humanitarian grounds, allow me to be with my wife and child," Muzamil, 24, a United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) card holder told Bernama here Wednesday. Muzamil, who now works in Kuala Lumpur was informed of his wife and child's predicament by a friend who was recently released from the depot. His friend was released from the depot due to his status as UNHCR card holder, he said. He said he was more concerned over their state of health after the month-long boat trip to reach Malaysia. "I am feeling very uneasy because my friend told me that my child and wife were unwell. My friend told me my wife had difficulties moving and walking," he lamented. The last time he spoke to his wife over the phone was two months ago - just before she set sail with their son on a fishing boat heading for Langkawi, he said. "That was the last I heard from her," said Muzamil, who also spent a month on a boat to Thailand, before he was held at a human trafficking syndicate's transit camp in Padang Besar for 10 days. He said although the Rohingya Society Malaysia (RSM) welfare association had told him that his efforts to meet his wife and child would be futile, he would not give up. Kedah RSM deputy chairman Yusof Ali said to date, the immigration department had not allowed any visitor for Rohingya detainees at the depot. "I have received many calls from families in Myanmar, wanting to know the fate of their relatives. "It is a depressing situation when family members in Myanmar do not hear anything from their children, siblings or relatives after boarding boats to Malaysia or Thailand," he noted. -- BERNAMA