PUTRAJAYA must undertake responsibility to safeguard the rights and safety of refugees and asylum seekers as part of any agreement it considers signing with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), activists said.

They said the cases of vigilante action against these groups have been on the rise in recent times.

This call came as Putrajaya said it was considering an agreement with UNHCR on its role and responsibilities in managing refugees and asylum seekers.

The previous government had initially suggested that UNHCR close its doors in Malaysia and allow the government to handle refugees and asylum seekers.

North South Initiative executive director Adrian Pereira said the government can play a more pivotal role in safeguarding the rights of asylum seekers and refugees by taking immediate action against vigilantes who are exposing the group to harm.

Pereira pointed to the latest incident where a group of local men in Penang had threatened a Rohingya community for running businesses and owning vehicles.

He described the action against asylum seekers, especially the Muslim Rohingya, as shocking.

He urged Putrajaya to set up an integration programme so both locals and refugees could understand each other in a deeper way.

“We must remind the government and public that Islam is our official religion, and that we must exhibit to our guests that we practise Islamic principles and are kind to persecuted refugees.

“And we must accept that they have their own circular economy, and that they are not stealing from Malaysians.

“This should not be criminalised as all refugees and asylum seekers lack documentation and identity papers to ensure their own livelihood,” said Pereira.

In another incident before the Hari Raya, more than 50 refugees, including children and senior citizens, were made to leave their village “with no warning” by a small group of locals.

The UNHCR described the incident as “a completely avoidable tragedy”.

“This house in a rural village in Penang was home to a Rohingya refugee family. One week shy of the Eid celebrations, this home should have been loud with children excitedly awaiting the festivities, families preparing for the end of Ramadan,” it said in a Facebook post.

On Monday, deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the government was considering an agreement with the UNHCR in managing refugees and asylum seekers effectively, adding that the involvement of government agencies, UNHCR and civil society groups would be further enhanced through more efficient management and enforcement mechanisms.

He said committees and a special task force would be established to set up a mechanism to manage refugees and asylum seekers.

The government would also be more involved in determining refugee status that was previously carried out by UNHCR unilaterally.

Enforcement and legislation of refugees and asylum seekers in Malaysia would also be coordinated, Zahid said.

Refugees who were registered with the government would also be provided with a social support system, he added.

Release from detention

Anderson Selvasegaram of Suka Foundation welcomed Putrajaya’s move.

He said it is high time for Putrajaya to engage with UNHCR – an expert in the area of refugees and asylum seekers – in order to look for ways to protect the vulnerable group.

“Although I have yet to know the details of the agreement, I would like to express my gratitude to the government for its openness to accept UNHCR and to allow it to play an important role in this issue.

“It is always best to have a collaboration in pressing issues such as the refugees,” he said.

In the meantime, Pereira also urged Putrajaya to release refugees and asylum seekers in detention centres.

“Other than providing protection from harm and violence, those detained must be released. If Malaysia is serious about the issue, they have to demonstrate courage to release all in detention,” he said.

He said the release would show the government’s goodwill in wanting to better manage the situation.

He said the government should ratify the 1951 Refugee Convention and pass laws pertaining to refugees so that a proper legal framework can be established to facilitate a working relationship with UNHCR.

Former Klang MP Charles Santiago also lauded the move, stressing that UNHCR could provide sufficient identity papers so that they could be absorbed into the workforce.

Santiago said many refugees have working experience and knowledge that could be utilised efficiently.

“Some of them before coming here have been working and have skills. Why not use these resources?

“They have the skills and I think that is an untapped human resource that can be utilised,” he said.

A total of 185,760 refugees and asylum seekers are currently registered with UNHCR. Of the number, 160,332 were from Myanmar with 67% of them Rohingyas.

Other significant numbers of nationalities are Pakistanis (7,109), Yemenis (3,466), Afghans (3,444), Somalians (3,161) and Syrians (3,161). – May 11, 2023.