Refugees Life in Malaysia: A Review Paper
Keywords:
refugees, social life, Malaysia
Abstract
Refugee crisises have affected nearly every nation in the world. The recent influx of refugees into Malaysia is concerning as the government does not legally acknowledge refugees’ legal status. This brings about several questions regarding their survivability in Malaysia, in addition to whether the existing systems and policies are able to accommodate their needs for healthcare, education, and economic opportunity. Although they may have escaped torture and persecution in their own countries, they would still have to face hardships as a refugee in Malaysia. This paper will discuss the life of refugees in Malaysia from the; health, education, economic status, and social life aspects.
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References
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Shaw, S. A., Pillai, V., & Ward, K. P. (2018). Assessing mental health and service needs among refugees in Malaysia. International Journal of Social Welfare. doi:10.1111/ijsw.12313
Smith, L. (2013). Female refugee networks: Rebuilding post-conflict identity. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 37(1).
Tay, A. K., Mohsin, M., Hau, K. M., Badrudduza, M., Balasundaram, S., Morgan, K., Parthiban,
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Tay, K., Ong, A., Pheh, K., Low, S., Tan, C., & Low, P. (2019). Assessing the effectiveness of a mental health literacy programme for refugee teachers in Malaysia. Malaysian Journal of Medical Sciences, 26(6), 120-126. doi: 10.21315/mjms2019.26.6.12
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Wahab, A. AB. (2017). Rethinking refugees as economically isolated: The Rohingyas participation in informal economy in Klang Valley, Malaysia. JAS (Journal Of ASEAN Studies), 5(2), 102. doi: 10.21512/jas.v5i2.3664
Wake, C. (2016). ‘Turning a blind eye’ The policy response to Rohingya refugees in Malaysia. Humanitarian Policy Group.
Wake, C., & Cheung, T. (2016). Livelihood strategies of Rohingya refugees in Malaysia ‘We want to live in dignity’. Overseas Development Institute.
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Strategic and International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia, 1-19. https://www.jstor.org/stable/resrep19605
Yunus, R. M., Azme, N., Chen, X. W., Badlishah-Sham, S. F., Miptah, H.N., & Azraai,
A. M. (2021). The need to map existing health care services for refugees in Malaysia. J Glob Health, 11, 03024. doi:10.7189/jogh.11.03024
Amnesty International. (n.d.). Key facts about refugees and asylum seekers' rights. https://www.amnesty.org/en/what-we-do/refugees-asylum-seekers-and-migrants/
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Chuah, F. L. H., Tan, S. T., Yeo, J., & Legido-Quigley, H. (2018). The health needs and access barriers among refugees and asylum-seekers in Malaysia: A qualitative study. International Journal for Equity in Health, 17(1), 120.
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Eid, I., & Rokis, R. (2019). The barriers to education among the Palestinian refugee children in Malaysia. Journal Of Islam In Asia, 16(2).
Farzana, K. F., Pero, S. D. M., & Othman, M. F. (2020). The dream’s door: Educational marginalization of Rohingya children in Malaysia. South Asian Journal of Business and Management Cases, 9(2), 237-246. doi: 10.1177/2277977920905819
Farzana, K., & Haq, M. (2019). Malaysia’s political orientation in diplomatic neutrality. Intellectual Discourse, Special Issue, 783-798. https://search.proquest.com/openview/25224c5e469522b320863f30c13d5211/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=826340
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Huang, C., & Graham, J. (2019). Where do internally displaced people live and what does that mean for their economic integration?. Center of Global Development Brief https://www.cgdev.org/publication/where-do-internally-displaced-people-live-and-what-does-mean-their-economic-integration
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Iskhandar, R. (2015, June 29). Thousands of Myanmar refugees, asylum seekers stuck in Malaysian poverty cycle. ABC News. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-06-29/thousands-of-refugees-stuck-in-malaysian-poverty-cycle/6575134
Kaur, K., Sulaiman, A. H., Yoon, C. K., Hashim, A. H., Kaur, M., Hui, K. O., Sabki, Z. A.,
Francis, B., Singh, S., & Gill, J. S. (2020). Elucidating mental health disorders among Rohingya refugees: A Malaysian perspective. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(18), 6730. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17186730
Kok, J. K., Lee, M. N., & Low, S. K. (2016). Coping abilities and social support of Myanmar teenage refugees in Malaysia. Vulnerable Children and Youth Studies, 12(1), 71–80. doi:10.1080/17450128.2016.1263774
Kok, J. K., Low, S. K., & Lee, W. Y. (2013). Dreams and participation in education: A narrative inquiries into the life experience of Myanmar refugees in Malaysia. Journal of Advanced Social Research, 3(2), 79-92.
Letchamanan, H. (2013). Myanmar’s Rohingya refugees in Malaysia: Education and the way forward. Journal of International And Comparative Education, 2(2), 86-97. doi: 10.14425/00.50.24
Lokman, T. (2016, June 22) Nur Jazlan warns UNHCR: Do not blackmail Malaysia. New Straits Times. http://www.nst.com.my/news/2016/06/153628/nur-jazlanwarns-unhcr-do-not-blackmail-malaysia.
Low, S. K., Kok, J. K., & Lee, W. Y. (2014). Perceived discrimination and psychological distress of Myanmar refugees in Malaysia. International Journal of Social Science and Humanity, 4(3). doi: 10.7763/IJSSH.2014.V4.346
Memisoglu, F., & Ilgit, A. (2016). Syrian refugees in Turkey: Multifaceted challenges, diverse players and ambiguous policies. Mediterranean Politics, 22(3), 317-338. doi: 10.1080/13629395.2016.1189479
Nah, A. M. (2010). Refugees and space in urban areas in Malaysia. Forced Migration Review, (34), 29. https://www.alnap.org/system/files/content/resource/files/main/nah-refugees-and-space-in-urban-areas-in-malaysia.pdf
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Nungsari, M., Flanders, S., & Chuah, H. Y. (2020). Poverty and precarious employment: The
case of Rohingya refugee construction workers in Peninsular Malaysia. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 7(1), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-020-00606-8
Palik, J. (2020). Education for Rohingya refugee children in Malaysia. Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) Policy Brief, 2. https://resourcecentre.savethechildren.net/node/17626/pdf/palik_julia_-_education_for_rohingya_refugee_children_in_malaysia_prio_policy_brief_2-2020.pdf
Rahman, J. (2011). Access to Education for Children under the Protection of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR): Case Study in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Shaw, S. A., Pillai, V., & Ward, K. P. (2018). Assessing mental health and service needs among refugees in Malaysia. International Journal of Social Welfare. doi:10.1111/ijsw.12313
Smith, L. (2013). Female refugee networks: Rebuilding post-conflict identity. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 37(1).
Tay, A. K., Mohsin, M., Hau, K. M., Badrudduza, M., Balasundaram, S., Morgan, K., Parthiban,
N., & Silove, D. (2020). Variations in prevalence and risk profiles for common mental disorders amongst Rohingya, Chin and Kachin refugees from Myanmar. Psychol Med, 11, 1-15. doi: 10.1017/S0033291720003104
Tay, K., Ong, A., Pheh, K., Low, S., Tan, C., & Low, P. (2019). Assessing the effectiveness of a mental health literacy programme for refugee teachers in Malaysia. Malaysian Journal of Medical Sciences, 26(6), 120-126. doi: 10.21315/mjms2019.26.6.12
Teng, T. S., & Zalilah, M. S. (2011). Nutritional status of Rohingya children in Kuala Lumpur. Malaysian J Med Heal Sci, 7(1), 41-9.
Todd, L., Amirullah, A., & Shin, W. Y. (2019). The economic impact of granting refugees in Malaysia the right to work. Policy Ideas NO. 60. https://www.tent.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/IDEAS-Malaysia.pdf
Immigration Act 1959/63. (2006). Laws of Malaysia, Act 155. The Commissioner of Law Revision
The Equal Rights Trust. (2014). Equal only in name: The human rights of stateless Rohingya in Malaysia. The Equal Rights Trust.
Ullah, A. (2011). Rohingya refugees to Bangladesh: Historical exclusions and contemporary marginalization. Journal of Immigrant & Refugee Studies, 9(2), 139-161. doi: 10.1080/15562948.2011.567149
UN Refugee Agency. (2011). Refugee education: A global review. UNHCR.
UNHCR. (2011). The 1951 Convention Relating to The Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol. https://www.unhcr.org/4ec262df9.pdf
UNHCR. (2015). Education. http://www.unhcr.org.my/[email protected].
UNHCR. (2016, June 21). UNHCR rolls out new card.
http://www.unhcr.org.my/[email protected].
UNHCR. (2019). Global Trends: Forced Displacement in 2018. https://www.unhcr.org/5d08d7ee7.pdf
UNHCR. (2019, June 19). Worldwide displacement tops 70 million, UN Refugee Chief urges greater solidarity in response. https://www.unhcr.org/en-my/news/press/2019/6/5d03b22b4/worldwide-displacement-tops-70-million-un-refugee-chief-urges-greater-solidarity.html
UNHCR. Global Appeal 2012-2013 – Malaysia (n.d). https://www.unhcr.org/en-my/publications/fundraising/4ec23106b/unhcr-global-appeal-2012-2013-malaysia.html
UNHCR. (n.d.). Figures at a glance in Malaysia. https://www.unhcr.org/en-my/figures-at-a-glance-in-malaysia.html
UNHCR. (n.d.). Education in Malaysia. https://www.unhcr.org/en-my/education-in-malaysia.html
UNHCR- EAC. (2019). 2015-2019 - End of project report UNHCR – Educate a child programme. UNHCR. https://www.unhcr.org/5fa2d1977.pdf
United Nations. (1989). Convention and protocol relating to the status of refugees. Annual Review of Population Law, 16, 175.
United Nations. General Assembly, & Grover, A. (2013). Report of the Special Rapporteur on the Right of Everyone to the Enjoyment of the Highest Attainable Standard of Physical and Mental Health: Addendum: Mission to Japan (15-26 November 2012). United Nations General Assembly.
Verghis, S. (2014). Stop the arrest and detention of asylum seeking women accessing maternal health care. Aliran. https://aliran.com/civil-society-voices/2014-civil-society-voices/stop-arrest-detention-asylum-seeking-women-accessing-maternal-health-care/
Wahab, A. AB. (2017). Rethinking refugees as economically isolated: The Rohingyas participation in informal economy in Klang Valley, Malaysia. JAS (Journal Of ASEAN Studies), 5(2), 102. doi: 10.21512/jas.v5i2.3664
Wake, C. (2016). ‘Turning a blind eye’ The policy response to Rohingya refugees in Malaysia. Humanitarian Policy Group.
Wake, C., & Cheung, T. (2016). Livelihood strategies of Rohingya refugees in Malaysia ‘We want to live in dignity’. Overseas Development Institute.
Wood, J. (2019). These countries are home to the highest proportion of refugees in the world. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/03/mena-countries-in-the-middle-east-have-the-highest-proportion-of-refugees-in-the-world/
World Health Organization. (2010). How health systems can address health inequities linked to migration and ethnicity. WHO Regional Office for Europe.
Yasmin, N. A. (2019). Opportunities for refugee access to work in Malaysia. Institute of
Strategic and International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia, 1-19. https://www.jstor.org/stable/resrep19605
Yunus, R. M., Azme, N., Chen, X. W., Badlishah-Sham, S. F., Miptah, H.N., & Azraai,
A. M. (2021). The need to map existing health care services for refugees in Malaysia. J Glob Health, 11, 03024. doi:10.7189/jogh.11.03024
