The government is planning to provide better social assistance to refugees registered under the government and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), including by permitting them to work legally in Malaysia.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories), Dr Zaliha Mustafa, shared this in a Parliamentary Written Response to Seputeh MP Teresa Kok’s question on whether refugees under UNHCR could be allowed to work legally to overcome the labour shortage problem in the country.
Plans are being finalised
Dr Zaliha added that this plan will only be finalised after all refugees and asylum seekers in Malaysia register their status with the government.
“The Government intends to provide several social assistances to refugees registered with the Government and UNHCR, including permission to work legally in Malaysia,”
“However, the details of this permission are being refined taking into account the conditions and needs of the workforce according to the appropriate sectors and will be finalised after all refugees and asylum seekers in Malaysia have been registered with the Government,” she said.
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She added that the Government is currently adopting National Security Council Directive No. 23: Policy and Mechanism for the Management of Refugees and Asylum Seekers (Revision 2023), which was signed by the Prime Minister on June 14, 2023.
This directive will be used by the government to supervise and manage refugees and asylum seekers in Malaysia, including the roles and responsibilities of each government agency involved and the management of refugees and asylum seekers in Malaysia.
She went on to emphasise that Malaysia is not party to the 1951 Refugee Convention or its 1967 Protocol, and there is no legislative or administrative framework to address refugee issues.
“However, based on humanitarian policies, Malaysia has provided social assistance to ethnic Rohingya refugees from Myanmar, in addition to refugees from other countries,”
“The government allows this group to temporarily stay in the country subject to existing laws before being resettled to a 3rd country or returned to their country of origin,” she added.
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