Sending back illegal migrants

Sending home illegal migrants from a neighboring country can be sensitive but Malaysia and Indonesia have managed it smoothly. Recently Malaysia sent back more than 1,000 people on an Indonesian ship. Many factors helped, including the ASEAN spirit and cordial ties between the two. But to avoid misunderstanding, it is better that Malaysia is seen to exercise fairness by repatriating foreigners from other sources too. In the ASEAN spirit, the costs must be borne by all parties involved as it is not a single-country problem.

-- Berita Harian, Singapore