PORT DICKSON: Residents of Port Dickson are fervently hoping that the Australian High Court will rule against the deportation of 54 asylum seekers to Malaysia when it hears the matter on Aug 22.
The 54 are meant to be the first batch of asylum seekers sent to Malaysia under the recently inked Australia-Malaysia refugee swap deal.
They were originally scheduled to arrive two weeks ago but faced a setback after an injunction against their deportation was extended.
The asylum seekers – mostly Afghans and Pakistanis – will be housed in two transit homes in Port Dickson for a maximum of 30 days while their applications are being processed.
The first home, Rumah Cycle Carri, comprises a colonial bungalow and two wooden chalets. The second, Cresent Peak, is a former hotel. Both facilities are slightly smaller than a football field.
When FMT visited Port Dickson last weekend, renovation work on both facilities was already in progress.
A third transit home, Pearl Villa Hotel and Resort, had pulled out of the arrangement last week after finding out the real purpose behind the hotel reservations.
“We were lied to,” a hotel spokeman told FMT. “The person who made the reservations first told us that it was for a group of engineers. Then it was changed to management trainees.”
Security issues
“Later on, officials from the Immigration Department and the Australian Embassy visited the hotel and told us that the booking was for embassy officials.”
“We only found out that we were one of the transit homes when we read the newspapers a few days ago and we immediately cancelled the booking. It’s a lot of money but not worth the risk.”
The spokesman added that the hotel was beseiged by worried calls from their regular clients and residents in surrounding areas.
“There is strong concern about security issues,” he said. “None of us were told that the asylum seekers would be housed in Port Dickson and we’re not sure what to expect. No one is telling us anything.”
Port Dickson state assemblyman, M Ravi, expressed similar frustration and opposition to the housing of asylum seekers in the seaside town.
He claimed that he had not been officially informed of this decision and had found out through a friend who is providing the transport for the asylum seekers.
“We don’t want them here,” he said bluntly. “If the government wants to place them in Negri Sembilan, then go to Kuala Pilah and Bahau instead. Don’t choose a tourist destination.”
“The residents are very unhappy as they feel that their security, especially that of their children’s, will be threatened. Already, there is unnecessarily high security at Crescent Peak which has created a sense of uneasiness among the locals.”
Beachside accommodations
Ravi also demanded to know where the asylum seekers would be placed once their applications are processed. The government has said that they will be “released into the community” but has made no mention of which community.“Will they go to Kuala Lumpur or remain in Port Dickson?” he asked. “We need to know all these details before they arrive here.”
Bar Council Human Rights Committee chairman, Andrew Khoo, noted an element of a public relations exercise in the choice of Port Dickson.
“The government wants to show Australia that the asylum seekers are being housed in very nice beachside accommodations,” he said. “But these are transit homes. What happens after that?”
Khoo also pointed out that the two facilities were akin to detention centres as the asylum seekers would not be allowed to leave the ground.
“The community is not being adequately prepared either,” he added. “We’re not just talking about the official part of the preparations but also the social and community preparation.”
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