JOHOR BARU: The government must investigate the breakout of 528 Rohingya detainees immediately from the immigration depot, says Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.

       The Umno vice-president said the investigation must be comprehensive and transparent, adding it was saddening that several escaped detainees died on an expressway.

       He said in a statement on Thursday (April 21) that such incidents are not new and added that the repeated incidents could be due to several reasons.

       Mohamad Khaled said these reasons could include overcrowding and limited resources at the detention facilities.

       “Prolonged detainment without any explanation or plans for their future is against human rights. It is also a waste of the rakyat’s money as keeping them in detention involves public funds," he said.

       Mohamed Khaled added that new detainees should be registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in order to provide them with identification documents for them to be freed.

       “If such people are allowed to work, it will help them develop skills. This will lessen the burden on the government," he said.

       Mohamed Khaled also said that the government’s working relationship with the UNHCR should be improved so that refugees could be quickly relocated to start fresh lives in countries that accept them.

       On Wednesday (April 20) morning, a total of 528 Rohingya detainees escaped from the Relau immigration depot in Bandar Baharu - at the border between Kedah and Penang - at 4.30am.

       This was following a protest that quickly turned into a riot at the depot.

       Six of them died while crossing the road at KM168 of the North-South Expressway in Jawi at 6.50am.

       It is understood that most of the Rohingya there were previously detained in operations by various agencies in Langkawi.