By P Prem Kumar

KUALA LUMPUR

A Malaysian federal minister has accused the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) of dishing out refugee cards without the government's consent.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Shahidan Kassim claimed Thursday that although cards must be authorized by the Immigration Department, the Home Ministry and the Foreign Affairs Ministry, the UNHCR had been giving out cards without consultation.

"We are reviewing it as a matter of urgency, because any recognition of an illegal immigrant as a refugee must be done through the proper processes and with the authorities' knowledge," he told reporters at parliament Thursday.

Earlier this year, Malaysia and Indonesia agreed to take in around 7,000 Rohingya and Bangladeshi migrants who had become stranded in local waters after a crackdown by Thai authorities scared people smugglers into abandoning their boats.

An identification process would determine which were genuine refugees and which economic migrants. The migrants would then be returned home.

Reports have said, however, that some Bangladeshi migrants have claimed to be Rohingya, in order to pass themselves off as refugees.

Rohingya are largely stateless and described by the United Nations as one of the most persecuted groups in the world.

So far, Malaysia has taken in about 1,100 Rohingya, who are now at a detention center in northern state Kedah.

Kassim claimed that although Rohingya were to undergo the proper screening process before being issued cards, the UNHCR has apparently been issuing refugee cards to illegal migrants who were not Rohingya.

"How can this happen? The Home Ministry and Foreign Ministry must be consulted first before any cards are issued," he said.

“The National Security Council will be taking action to ensure no more refugee cards are issued without government knowledge," he said.

He refused to reveal the type of action that will be taken.