Kelantan police are keeping a close watch on more than 13,000 Rohingya residing throughout the state, including 5,373 individuals holding United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) cards.
Kelantan Police Chief Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat said the monitoring effort is aimed at ensuring the Rohingya community, including approximately 8,000 individuals without UNHCR documentation, does not pose any threat to public order or security.
He said surveillance and intelligence-gathering activities are being carried out continuously by the police Special Branch, which tracks the community’s movements and activities across the state.
“Many Rohingya choose to remain in Malaysia because they have relatives here and are able to secure employment opportunities,” he said during a press conference on Monday.
“However, we will continue monitoring their activities, whether they possess UNHCR cards or not.”
According to Yusoff, the Rohingya population is concentrated in several locations, including Kota Bharu, Padang Siam in Tanah Merah, Ketereh, Bunut Susu and Pasir Puteh.
Police are also closely observing informal Rohingya settlements, community schools, religious learning centres and areas commonly referred to as “Mini Dhaka”.
Yusoff noted that attempts by Rohingya migrants to enter Malaysia illegally through Kelantan remain high, with many intercepted near the border before attempting to settle in villages throughout the state.
Many members of the community are employed as labourers in construction projects and plantation sectors, while police occasionally receive reports involving disputes within the community.
“Most of these disputes are internal matters involving members of the community themselves,” he said.
However, investigations have revealed that some Rohingya who have spent extended periods in Malaysia have allegedly become involved in cross-border smuggling activities, including acting as transporters for illegal migrants and participating in organised criminal networks.
From January to May this year, Kelantan police recorded 412 criminal cases involving Rohingya individuals, leading to 825 arrests.
For the entire previous year, authorities recorded 277 cases involving 723 arrests.
As of May this year, a cumulative total of 689 cases involving 1,548 arrests had been documented.
Immigration-related offences accounted for the majority of cases, with 384 recorded incidents. Authorities also investigated 16 smuggling cases involving 21 individuals.
In addition, eight property-related offences such as theft and housebreaking resulted in eight arrests, while four cases involving violent offences and domestic disturbances led to seven arrests.
Yusoff said investigations indicated that Rohingya individuals in Kelantan were generally not involved in drug-related crimes.
He also explained that district police lock-ups do not house large numbers of Rohingya detainees because those arrested for immigration offences are typically transferred to immigration depots or prisons after processing.
Police will continue monitoring developments involving the Rohingya community to ensure public safety and maintain security throughout the state, he added.
