Former Malaysian prime minister says Thai Muslims who fled to Malaysia should be granted asylum.

(From Thai Press Reports)

Section: General News - Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on Wednesday turned up the heat on the sticky issue over the presence of 131 Thai Muslims being sheltered in northern State of Kelantan by suggesting that they should be granted asylum in Malaysia, The Nation reports.

"Well, I think if the people are real refugees, then we need to give them some asylum," Mahathir told reporters on Wednesday.

The suggestion came amid reports that more Thai Muslims from the three southernmost provinces were planning to flee over the border to the Malaysian side amid a growing concern of crackdown from security agencies. …