COMMENT | Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan’s suggestion that Malaysia might reconsider the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)’s presence over its “refusal to cooperate” is troubling and vague.

What exactly does that mean? If there are concerns about registration, screening, or information-sharing, those should be resolved through transparent negotiation, not threats against the agency mandated to protect refugees.

If the government wants better screening or more oversight, it should build that framework through negotiation.

But a country that speaks about humanitarianism, champions the Palestinian cause, and claims a responsible seat in the international community can’t treat refugees or the agency protecting them as an inconvenience when the numbers become politically awkward.

There’s also an obvious question the government avoids...