REFUGEES in the country have become among the most adversely impacted by the government’s movement-control order (MCO) to curb the spread of Covid-19, said rights group Tenaganita.

These refugees – close to 180,000 in total – have always had a hard life in Malaysia as it is, said the organisation.

As Malaysia is not a signatory to the 1951 United Nations Refugee Convention, refugees are not allowed to obtain proper work, thus, most are odd-job workers earning a daily wage averaging between RM40 and RM60, said Hasnah Hussin, a volunteer community mobiliser with Tenaganita.

The MCO has added financial strain on them as they have lost their daily income and are struggling to feed their families, she added.

To support refugees during the MCO period, she said, Tenaganita and three other groups have organised a fundraising campaign to collect RM30,000 to assist 500 families in the Klang Valley.

The three other organisations are Refuge for the Refugees, Dapur Jalanan Kuala Lumpur and Liga Rakyat Demokratik.

“We aim to collect a minimum of RM30,000, which means we are looking at RM60 per family.

“With this money, we plan to buy rice, oil, onions and many other things needed for these 500 families,” Hasnah told The Malaysian Insight.

However, she said, more than these 500 families need help.

“In Ampang alone, there are more than 3,000 families. So, the 500 we are looking to help are within our capacity to help,” she said, adding that they will assist more families if the fundraising is a success.

The 500 families that will receive the aid comprise Rohingya and other Myanmar Muslims, Afghans and Syrians.

Hasnah said for now, Tenaganita is focusing on food items, but other initiatives are needed to help pay for rental fees and bills, among others.

As for basic protection from Covid-19, Hasnah said masks and hand sanitiser are beyond their means.

“In the majority of the families, only one person works. Even that is an odd job. Due to the restrictions, they have no income and it impacts the entire family.

“I don’t think we are financially prepared to support everyone. So, our focus for now is their food and health, while for other needs, we will probably need to find another initiative later. 

“Even to protect against this virus, we can only advise them to wash their hands using soap as often as possible.”

She added that they are looking at today as the earliest date to start distributing the items, as they were still discussing and getting quotations from suppliers at the time of the interview.

“We also plan to obtain letters from the relevant authorities saying we are doing volunteer work and need to distribute food.

“Instead of a representative from all 500 families coming out, we can have two to three volunteers distributing the food to their houses.

“It is safer, and we will use masks, gloves and maintain social distancing.”

Those who wish to donate to the cause can do so by directing funds to Persatuan Kebajikan Perlindungan Kanak-Kanak’s CIMB account number 8000499285.

According to UN data, there were some 178,990 refugees and asylum seekers registered with the UN High Commission for Refugees in Malaysia as of last month.

Some 154,080 are from Myanmar, comprising 101,010 Rohingya, Chin (22,810) and others (30,250).

There are about 24,900 refugees and asylum seekers from other countries, including Pakistan (6,660), Yemen (3,680), Somalia (3,290), Syria (3,290), Afghanistan (2,590), Sri Lanka (1,830), Iraq (1,270) and Palestine (790).

Some 68% of refugees and asylum seekers are men, while 32% are women. There are around 46,520 children below the age of 18. – March 27, 2020.