KUALA LUMPUR – An organisation representing the interests of Rohingya refugees in Malaysia has welcomed the call by the Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negri Sembilan for the government to review the policy that prevents refugee or stateless children from accessing formal education.
Myanmar Ethnic Rohingya Human Rights Organisation Malaysia (Merhrom) president Zafar Ahmad Abdul Ghani said allowing such children to have an education is necessary to rebuild their broken lives and generation.
He lauded Tuanku Muhriz Ibni Almarhum Tuanku Munawir for his remarks, stressing that there is a need for holistic and long-term solutions on this matter.
He said Merhrom is willing to give input to the government as there are many factors preventing refugee and stateless children from participating in formal schools.
Tuanku Muhriz had said at the Human Rights Day Forum on Monday that a policy review is needed to break the generational cycle of poverty among refugees or stateless people and would be a significant step to benefit the country.
Tuanku Muhriz also noted that civil society organisations and non-governmental organisations have taken up the call to provide assistance to refugees, and within their means, have managed to create some success stories.
According to Zafar, refugees who receive education not only benefit themselves but also their communities and host countries.
He cited the example of US Representative Ilhan Omar, a Somali refugee in Minnesota, and Senator Fatima Payman, a daughter of an Afghan refugee in Western Australia, as two successful refugees who were resettled in the US and Australia respectively.
He said that as the current resettlement programme has a limited resettlement quota compared to 27.1 million refugees and 4.6 million asylum seekers worldwide, countries that host refugees need a clear refugee management policy to better support and manage refugees.
Zafar added that providing refugees with high-quality primary to tertiary education is essential.
This will enable refugees to contribute back to their host nation and community. This can be done through partnerships and sponsorships with educational institutes in Malaysia and abroad.
Zafar also expressed hope that the Kuala Lumpur Declaration on Rights and Access to Education for Refugees, an outcome of the 8th IPHRC international seminar held here in October, would be implemented by the new government. – The Vibes, December 14, 2022
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