KOTA BHARU: Activists championing issues involving the Myanmar refugee community must understand the law and the jurisdiction of enforcement agencies before taking any action, Kelantan police chief Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat said.
He said that although their actions might be well-intentioned, a lack of understanding of the law could lead to other problems, particularly when organised activities attracted large crowds that were difficult to control.
READ MORE: Leave refugee enforcement to authorities, Saifuddin tells public
“Their intentions may be good, but the real issue is ignorance of the law itself. These activist groups are ignorant of the law; they do not understand it,” he said at a press conference after delivering his address at the Kelantan police monthly assembly here today.
He said the issue of managing Myanmar refugees was not new, having been discussed by the government for decades, and therefore required an appropriate approach to resolve it.
Commenting on the investigation into a group of social media activists who organised an activity involving the Myanmar refugee community, he said police were finalising the investigation papers before referring them to the Deputy Public Prosecutor.
Mohd Yusoff said the organising group, estimated to comprise 14 to 16 people, had publicised the activity on social media, attracting a crowd of nearly 100 people.
He said the large turnout made crowd control difficult, while a robbery involving a member of the Myanmar refugee community was also reported. The robbery was believed to have been committed by another person who was present at the event.
He also mentioned a housebreaking case in Tanah Merah involving the loss of 12 wristwatches, but said further details would be provided later.
Mohd Yusoff said police had also seized mobile phones belonging to the individuals involved to obtain information that could assist in the investigation.
He reminded the public to channel complaints about offences to the relevant agencies according to their respective jurisdictions, including the Immigration Department for immigration-related issues and local authorities for offences involving businesses or premises.
He said there were 8,021 Myanmar refugees in the state and that police monitored the community through intelligence operations in every district.