Channel News Asia, Kuala Lumpur :
Ethnic Rohingya who have no legal right to work or education in Malaysia are hoping for change now that Prime Minister Najib Razak has vocally taken up their cause.
More than 56,000 Rohingya are registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Malaysia after fleeing violence in Myanmar’s Rahkine state. The Rohingya Society in Malaysia estimates about 35,000 more have yet to obtain UNHCR cards.
Malaysia does not legally recognise asylum seekers and refugees as it is not a signatory to the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees (1951) and the Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees (1967).
The President of the Rohingya Society in Malaysia, Faisal Islam Muhammad Kassim, told Channel NewsAsia those who do find employment often work illegally in industries such as construction, earning approximately US$250 per month – a salary that is often not enough to sustain them in the country.
“The government can do something for us … and if the government gives the Rohingya a chance to work here legally, it will be better for them,” he said.
Employment rights could soon be a reality for the Rohingya. The UNHCR has said it is collaborating with the Malaysian government on a pilot scheme to allow the Rohingya to work in the country.
Faisal, who fled Myanmar in 2012, is also pleading for Malaysia to give Rohingya children access to government schools. Right now, they are educated in schools and classes run by NGOs.
The pleas come after Najib gave a fiery speech at a rally in solidarity for the Rohingya on Sunday, slamming both Myanmar and Aung San Suu Kyi. “The world cannot sit by and watch genocide taking place,” he said. “The world cannot sit by and say: look, it’s not our problem. It is our problem. It is our problem.” On Tuesday, Myanmar’s immigration ministry said it had stopped issuing new licences for its nationals to work in Malaysia.
“Myanmar has temporarily stopped sending workers to Malaysia from 6/12/2016 because of the current situation in Malaysia,” it said in a statement, without elaborating. However the president of the Malaysian Employers Federation Shamsudin Bardan said that the immediate impact would be minimal.”The impact will start to be felt when existing work permits expire and workers need to be sent back but no new workers from Myanmar to replace them,” he told Channel NewsAsia. He added that there were “about 147,000” foreign workers from Myanmar in Malaysia, and that Malaysia could tap women and members of the older workforce to fill the gap when they leave.
“Woman [sic] participation of 54% in the workforce can be increased by creating a better environment for women to stay in the workforce, by establishing community child care centres and practising and implementing flexible work arrangements,” he said.
Ethnic Rohingya who have no legal right to work or education in Malaysia are hoping for change now that Prime Minister Najib Razak has vocally taken up their cause.
More than 56,000 Rohingya are registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Malaysia after fleeing violence in Myanmar’s Rahkine state. The Rohingya Society in Malaysia estimates about 35,000 more have yet to obtain UNHCR cards.
Malaysia does not legally recognise asylum seekers and refugees as it is not a signatory to the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees (1951) and the Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees (1967).
The President of the Rohingya Society in Malaysia, Faisal Islam Muhammad Kassim, told Channel NewsAsia those who do find employment often work illegally in industries such as construction, earning approximately US$250 per month – a salary that is often not enough to sustain them in the country.
“The government can do something for us … and if the government gives the Rohingya a chance to work here legally, it will be better for them,” he said.
Employment rights could soon be a reality for the Rohingya. The UNHCR has said it is collaborating with the Malaysian government on a pilot scheme to allow the Rohingya to work in the country.
Faisal, who fled Myanmar in 2012, is also pleading for Malaysia to give Rohingya children access to government schools. Right now, they are educated in schools and classes run by NGOs.
The pleas come after Najib gave a fiery speech at a rally in solidarity for the Rohingya on Sunday, slamming both Myanmar and Aung San Suu Kyi. “The world cannot sit by and watch genocide taking place,” he said. “The world cannot sit by and say: look, it’s not our problem. It is our problem. It is our problem.” On Tuesday, Myanmar’s immigration ministry said it had stopped issuing new licences for its nationals to work in Malaysia.
“Myanmar has temporarily stopped sending workers to Malaysia from 6/12/2016 because of the current situation in Malaysia,” it said in a statement, without elaborating. However the president of the Malaysian Employers Federation Shamsudin Bardan said that the immediate impact would be minimal.”The impact will start to be felt when existing work permits expire and workers need to be sent back but no new workers from Myanmar to replace them,” he told Channel NewsAsia. He added that there were “about 147,000” foreign workers from Myanmar in Malaysia, and that Malaysia could tap women and members of the older workforce to fill the gap when they leave.
“Woman [sic] participation of 54% in the workforce can be increased by creating a better environment for women to stay in the workforce, by establishing community child care centres and practising and implementing flexible work arrangements,” he said.
