From Safe Haven to Repatriation: Malaysia Shifts Stance on Rohingya Refugees

Rohingya refugees sit inside a truck as they are taken by police after being evicted from their homes in Kuala Lumpur, on July 27, 2026. In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, children from Rohingya families gather in a single classroom out of necessity. Denied access to formal education, they rely on informal learning centres run by donors and NGOs like the one managed by Riyadh Al Haq, a Rohingya human rights activist. These children study the Quran and standard academic subjects, but their families remain barred from the healthcare system and legal employment, forcing parents to take informal jobs at car washes, restaurant kitchens, and courier services.

Despite these hardships, the estimated 125,000 Rohingya living in Malaysia find their current situation safer than life in Myanmar. Riyadh Al Haq noted that the kindness of the Malaysian people has allowed them to stay and live with a greater sense of security. Meanwhile, more than 750,000 Rohingya took shelter in Bangladesh following a brutal military crackdown in 2017, and an International Court of Justice hearing in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, continues to draw attention as a verdict approaches.

However, the Malaysian government recently began repatriating an initial group of nearly 1,500 Rohingya to Myanmar, drawing sharp criticism from the United Nations and international human rights groups. The Rohingya are a stateless Muslim minority facing severe persecution in Rakhine state, western Myanmar. A military campaign in 2017 forced hundreds of thousands to flee, an atrocity widely condemned as genocide and currently subject to a case brought by The Gambia at the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

While the Malaysian government insists the returns are voluntary and safe, critics argue that the ongoing civil war in Myanmar—sparked by a 2021 military coup that ousted Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi's government—makes such guarantees impossible. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's administration has pledged to return 5,000 Myanmar nationals, signaling a major shift away from the country's historical leniency toward the Rohingya.

Historically, Malaysia did not sign the 1951 United Nations Refugee Convention and did not grant official refugee status, yet citizens maintained deep religious and cultural sympathy for the Rohingya, welcoming those who arrived via perilous ocean journeys. In recent years, however, economic pressures and viral social media misinformation campaigns have fueled online petitions and hostility. Nur Sadek, executive director of Rohingya Rights Response, highlights how online harassment and vigilante intimidation have left many Rohingya terrified to leave their homes or secure even informal work.

As Malaysia approaches national elections early next year, political parties increasingly view the Rohingya issue as a potent tool for gathering votes, leaving the vulnerable minority facing an uncertain future.