A TOTAL of 78 Rohingya detainees placed at the Special Refugee and Asylum Seeker Isolation Centre (PPKPPS) in Bidor, Perak, have been approved for refugee status under the Refugee Registration Document (DPP) Programme as of June.
Home Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the group comprised 77 adult men and one adult woman.
He said their release would be carried out once all related procedures and administrative matters had been completed according to the established requirements.
"As a pilot project, the DPP Employment Programme has also been implemented involving the 78 individuals who have been granted refugee status.
"Of this number, 25 individuals have been identified as eligible for employment," he said in a written parliamentary reply.
Saifuddin was responding to a question from Teresa Kok (PH-Seputeh), who sought an update on the implementation of the DPP Programme and the number of refugees who had received approval to work in Malaysia.
He said Phase One of the DPP Programme focused mainly on Myanmar nationals of Rohingya ethnicity who were being held at Immigration Detention Depots (DTI) nationwide in Peninsular Malaysia.
"The total number of detainees recorded is 4,010 people, comprising 4,008 Myanmar nationals, as well as one Sudanese national and one Syrian national.
"This total consists of 2,746 adult male detainees, 632 adult female detainees, 392 male children and 240 female children," he said.
The detainees will be transferred in stages to the PPKPPS in Bidor, which has an operational capacity of 400 detainees at any one time, to undergo the Refugee Status Determination (PSP) process.
Saifuddin said that as of June, 128 Myanmar nationals of Rohingya ethnicity, comprising 127 adult men and one adult woman, had been transferred to the Bidor centre.
"Of this number, 78 individuals have been approved refugee status under the DPP Programme, while the remaining individuals are still undergoing assessment according to the stipulated requirements," he said.
Meanwhile, Saifuddin said Phase Two of the DPP Programme involving individuals holding United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) cards and those claiming refugee status who are currently outside Immigration Detention Depots is scheduled to begin in the second half of 2026.
"The process will be carried out at refugee status determination centres which will be announced later.
"The Home Ministry targets completing the registration process for this group by 31 December 2029," he said.
He said DPP registration is being conducted by a special unit known as the Refugee Registration Task Force (TPP) under the Immigration Department of Malaysia (JIM).
"At present, the registration process is being fully carried out by JIM and does not involve non-governmental organisations (NGOs)," he said.
The DPP Programme began on 1 January in accordance with National Security Council (MKN) Directive No. 23 (Revision 2023).
Under the programme, the Home Ministry is responsible for managing biometric data registration, security screening, refugee status determination and verification of migrants seeking temporary protection in Malaysia. - July 9, 2026
