Perspectives of Rohingya on the Positive and Negative Aspects of Life in Malaysia
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Abstract
The Rohingya are a minority ethnic group who practice Islam in predominantly Buddhist Myanmar. Due to decades of persecution by the Myanmar government and military, the stateless Rohingya have fled to nearby countries. Many Rohingya have fled to Malaysia because it is a Muslim country with available work. Malaysia, not a signatory to the 1951 and 1967 Refugee Convention and Protocols, considers the Rohingya as illegals. The tenuous situation in Myanmar and low rates of resettlement to third countries mean the Rohingya will likely be in Malaysia long-term. As part of a qualitative study on child marriage, Rohingya participants discussed positive and negative aspects of their lives in Malaysia. Four focus group discussions (FGDs) with a total of 20 Rohingya men aged 35 and older were conducted. Additionally, four FGDs with community stakeholders, including refugee schoolteachers and community workers, involved a total of 18 Rohingya participants. Negative aspects of their lives in Malaysia included their status as illegal, leading to problems with employment, finances, access to education and healthcare, extortion and xenophobia. Positive aspects of their lives in Malaysia included being less fearful than in Myanmar, gratitude for being allowed to live here, freedom of movement, the opportunity to live in a Muslim country, and the ability to provide for their families through limited work and education. The Rohingya pointed out that, despite the challenges, their lives in Malaysia are better than their lives in Myanmar. Recommendations include urging the Malaysian government to ratify the Refugee Convention and its Protocols, and grant rights to refugees. Due to their illegal status in Malaysia, the Rohingya continue to live in limbo, able to survive but not thrive.
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