MYANMAR Ethnic Rohingya Human Rights Organisation Malaysia (Merhrom) requests the Malaysian government to discuss with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) on the country’s refugee management instead of closing the latter’s office which will create more problems.
Malaysia is currently hosting refugees from 50 countries. Managing them requires huge capacity and resources.
The government must also get inputs from civil society organisations and community-based organisations in order to find the best solution for refugee management.
Recognising the rise of xenophobia against refugees particularly the Rohingya during the Covid-19 pandemic, more efforts are needed to bridge the refugee and the local community, and to overcome xenophobia as part of the country’s refugee management.
The UNHCR office’s closure will not solve the misuse of refugee cards issue and definitely will have a huge impact on refugees and the country, which subsequently leads to new problems prohibiting the international community’s efforts to assist and support refugees worldwide.
Malaysia has a long history of helping refugees from Vietnam, Aceh, Palestine, Bosnia, Yemen, Syria, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and others. Malaysia has also contributed a lot to UN peacekeeping missions around the world.
Therefore, the office closure does not appear to coincide with the important role played by Malaysia’s government and civil society organisations at the international level.
We understand it is not easy for Malaysia to host refugees from 50 countries. Thus, UNHCR’s role remains important in ensuring that refugees and asylum seekers can be well managed with the cooperation of the Malaysian government, civil society organisations, community-based organisations, the private sector and the people of Malaysia.
It is very important for all parties to lend support to the Malaysian government and UNHCR in finding a durable solution for all refugees.
We especially request the resettlement countries to increase their refugee placement quotas to support the Rohingya genocide’s survivors which will help the Malaysian government and UNHCR to manage refugees better.
Merhrom calls upon the Malaysian government, UNHCR and civil society organisations as well as community-based organisations to sit together and develop a comprehensive policy on refugees and asylum seekers management.
Through a comprehensive policy on refugee management, we will be able to help refugees without neglecting the host country and the host community. It is extremely crucial to create an enabling situation for all in order to avoid tensions between locals and refugees while UNHCR finds a durable solution for the latter.
We have to recognise that the root cause of the Rohingya plight is the ongoing genocide. Since the Myanmar military coup in February 2021, more Myanmarese have fled to Thailand and Malaysia.
Therefore, the United Nations and its member states, as well as the international community, have to take legal action against the Myanmarese military to stop the genocide and the persecution of the Rohingya people so that they can return home safely. – The Vibes, September 8, 2022
Zafar Ahmad Abdul Ghani is president of Myanmar Ethnic Rohingya Human Rights Organisation in Malaysia (Merhrom)
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