Home Ministry cannot impose conditions on Malaysians going abroad - Syed Hamid

Updates:

Now Rais Yatim says his proposal is meant for boys and girls who travel on their own, especially those below 21 years old and are still subject to parental supervision. Why didnt he say so, in the first place?

"There's some misunderstanding, " he said. ( Really? )

He said he only had good intention for those who travelled alone overseas, especially children.

"But if this is regarded by human rightists to be against human rights, wait until their own children get into trouble," he said. (read here )

Earlier story:

Home Affairs Minister Datuk Syed Hamid Albar said his Ministry cannot impose conditions on Malaysians going overseas, especially the requirement for women travelling alone to get a consent letter from their family before leaving the country.

Asking oversea-bound women for a consent letter from their family would also lead to other issues like human rights and the right of an individual.

Syed Hamid said this to reporters in response to the suggestion by Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim that Malaysian women going abroad alone would have to furnish a consent letter from her family on the purpose of the visit, according to NST.

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“To me if you are an adult, even within the country it is difficult to ask them to inform their family where they are going. So if you are an adult, you have to act on your own.

“There cannot be a rule. When a person applies for a passport, we don’t ask them where they are going. It is their right for a passport. If a person applies for a visa, the country which approves the visa may ask for the purpose of the visit but they cannot ask for a person to get the consent of the family.”

“This is a matter of grave concern to us as Malaysian women are being used by syndicates as drug couriers. We have suggested for more warnings to be given.

“There should be more exposure in the media to warn them of the dangers of being lured to such activities with very good offers or good money.

“It is more of education. We need to educate so that they are not taken in by such promises. So far as we are concerned, a person who wants to travel makes his or her own decision to travel and how they are going to do it is up to them.

“But I think it is important that they are not influenced by syndicates offering them good money,” he said, adding that the situation would be different if children were used in place of women as children need to get consent of their parents to travel overseas.

In so far as travelling was concerned, we can’t impose any regulations. I think Dr Rais was just throwing ideas.

“Even if you ask permission from parents, we can’t be sure this thing will not happen. The parents can’t be following the person everywhere. So it has to be education to tell them the dangers of this sort of activities.

“It is more of a NGO (non-governmental organisation) activity. The police can give warnings, but we cannot impose conditions,” he added.