KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 10 — Assistance to Malaysians detained overseas for criminal offences is extended only upon their request and not automatically by the government, said Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.
This includes consular assistance, such as notifying the detainee’s family, arranging legal services, and meeting basic needs, all of which are provided only upon the individual's formal request.
He said that every action taken is also subject to the laws of the host country and the principles of the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, which outlines a nation’s responsibilities in protecting its citizens abroad.
“Assistance is provided once the authorities in the host country inform our diplomatic mission that a Malaysian has been detained. We will then visit and identify their needs.
“However, in some cases, we are unaware of the detention because certain countries uphold the right of individuals who choose not to notify their embassies, until they request that we be informed,” Mohamad said during the question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat today.
He was responding to Kluang MP Wong Shu Qi's supplementary query regarding the Malaysian missions’ humanitarian and human rights support for Malaysians detained abroad, as well as financial allocations to safeguard their rights.
Mohamad added that the government does not allocate specific funds to appoint lawyers for detainees, as the responsibility rests with their families, except in countries that provide free legal aid to foreign nationals.
He noted that as of Saturday (November 8), 837 Malaysians have been detained abroad for online fraud-related offences, with China recording the highest number at 545, followed by Singapore (162), Japan (34), South Korea (22), India (20), Indonesia (11), Thailand (10), and smaller numbers in several other countries.
By ethnicity, 765 of those detained are Chinese, followed by Malays (34), Indians (33), and five individuals from other ethnic groups.
