PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia is obligated to ensure that Myanmar takes proactive steps to prevent the Rohingya issue from further deteriorating. Furthermore, all member states of ASEAN agreed to respond effectively, in accordance with the principle of comprehensive security, to threats, which the Rohingya issue poses to Malaysia's own security. The high number of Rohingya people in Malaysia (approximately 56,000) under the UNHCR banner, coupled with the hundreds of thousands in other neighbouring countries, makes this matter no longer an internal matter but an international matter. According to the UN refugee agency, as many as 10,000 Muslim residents of Rakhine State who self-identify as Rohingya have fled to neighbouring Bangladesh over the past few weeks. The UN estimates that 30,000 people in northern Rakhine State have been displaced by the violence.

Source: The Star December 03, 2016 01:35 UTC