KUALA LUMPUR, June 13 — Malaysia requires a more structured and comprehensive framework to manage the refugee issue, including the Rohingya community, that balances humanitarian considerations, national security, and development.
Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) School of International Studies (SoIS) Deputy Dean (Research and Innovation), Associate Professor Dr Siti Darwinda Mohamed Pero, suggested introducing a Targeted Refugee Response Framework (TRRF) to provide a systematic management mechanism addressing current needs and long-term goals.
She said the framework encompasses four main stages: entry, emergency response, resilience and self-reliance, as well as long-term solutions.
“The experiences of other nations demonstrate that effective refugee management requires a balance between humanitarian considerations, security, and development. Countries like Canada, Germany, and Uganda show how refugees can be granted access to education, employment, and basic services without compromising national interests,” she told Bernama.
According to her, Jordan has also shown that even if a country is not a party to the 1951 Refugee Convention, a pragmatic approach that provides access to employment and economic integration can still benefit both refugees and the host nation.
Siti Darwinda said this when commenting on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s recent reminder to Rohingya refugees in the country to strictly adhere to local laws and regulations or face firm action.
In this regard, she said a more holistic, structured, and long-term solution-oriented approach must be considered to manage the refugee issue effectively, in line with national security interests and Malaysia’s humanitarian responsibilities.
She added that efforts to enhance the Rohingya community’s compliance with local laws cannot rely solely on enforcement and must be reinforced through education, ongoing engagement, and capacity building.
The Rohingya community, she said, needs more comprehensive exposure to local laws, rights, responsibilities, and the social and cultural norms of Malaysian society.
“At the same time, engagement programmes involving the Rohingya community, authorities, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and local communities must be empowered to build trust and foster better cooperation,” she added.
Meanwhile, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Seremban campus Faculty of Administrative Science and Policy Studies senior lecturer in political science, Shahidah Abdul Razak, said the Prime Minister’s reminder was timely and justified.
She stressed that refugee status recognised by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) does not exempt an individual from legal action for criminal activity or regulatory breaches.
Consequently, she said the Rohingya community needs empowerment through educational approaches and social integration, including continuous exposure to local laws and their rights and responsibilities.
She said cooperation between the government, international agencies, civil society organisations, and Rohingya community leaders is crucial to ensure accurate information is effectively conveyed to the community.
At the same time, Shahidah said Malaysia should consider a special, comprehensive framework to help the government identify legitimate refugees, regulate settlements, provide access to appropriate education and skills training, and establish more effective monitoring and enforcement mechanisms.
This approach, she said, would not only protect national interests but also mitigate the risk of illegal activities.
“For Malaysia, the best approach is to develop a refugee management model that takes into account the country’s demographic, economic, and security realities, with the ultimate goal of ensuring refugees respect the law and that the issue is managed in an orderly, humane, and effective manner,” she said.
