A Rohingya refugee caresses the shore of Shah Porir Dwip, Bangladesh on September 11, 2017 after crossing Bangladesh-Myanmar border by boat across the Bay of Bengal. Photo: VCG

Malaysia said on Tuesday it will send back hundreds of Rohingya who arrived by boat this week after months at sea, as fears mounted that the refugees could be carrying a new wave of coronavirus.

The country is a favored destination for the persecuted Muslim minority from mostly Buddhist Myanmar, with thousands risking their lives on perilous sea crossings every year.

They usually travel from Myanmar or Bangladesh, where about 1 million live in squalid refugee camps after fleeing a 2017 military crackdown in their homeland.

But Malaysian authorities have stepped up maritime patrols in recent months in a bid to prevent them from landing over fears they could be carrying the coronavirus.

On Monday, however, coastguards allowed 269 Rohingya to come ashore after discovering them on a vessel that was too rickety to be pushed back to sea.

Rights groups say the migrants set off from Bangladesh in early April and had been turned away by several Southeast Asian countries.

Defense Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob insisted Malaysia would not allow them to stay, and issued a warning to others thinking of making the journey. 

He said that the foreign ministry would talk to Bangladeshi officials about sending the latest arrivals back, adding: "Maybe we will ask that they be housed at Bhashan [Char] island." 

Dhaka has said they were interned there as authorities were also wary of COVID-19.

In April, Malaysia intercepted and turned back a boat carrying about 200 Rohingya, sparking calls from rights groups for the government to soften its stance.

AFP