Singapore's position concerning the Rohingya crisis, as expressed by Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, is laudable (Asean needs to take stand on Rakhine: Vivian; Dec 6).

Singapore has spoken out against the humanitarian crisis in Rakhine, where the mass exodus of Rohingya Muslims has resulted in the influx of refugees in neighbouring countries.

Kudos to the minister for standing up against the human rights violations. This shows the far-sightedness of the Singapore leadership.

Although some might view this as a tragedy far from home, those at the helm have noticed this humanitarian crisis and realised that if it is not handled early, it might spill over and become a full-blown disaster.

If no mediation efforts are made, this crisis will pose a threat to regional stability.

Therefore, it is the right move for Singapore to seek the consensus of Asean member states in resolving the Rohingya crisis, even though it may be a slower and more gradual approach.

Perhaps some effort will be made towards preventing such a crisis from escalating further.

After all, we are all human beings.

Syed Alwi Altahir