PETALING JAYA: Recent instances of hostility against Rohingya refugees have prompted an activist and an assemblyman to exhort the government to allow them to work for their living.

Migrant rights activist Adrian Pereira and Melaka assemblyman Noor Helmy Abdul Halem told FMT they believed the refugees would not resort to running illegal businesses if they were allowed to seek gainful employment.

As refugees, the Rohingya are not allowed to work, have no access to government services such as healthcare and education, and cannot own property or open bank accounts.

Pereira said the antagonism against the Rohingya stemmed from the notion that they were economically displacing Malaysians and was misguided.

“They’re already here, setting up their businesses to survive,” he said. “Malaysians should be more empathetic as the Rohingya are not eroding into their economic pie.

“To survive, this community has had to pick up entrepreneurship very fast. That has nothing to do with Malaysians as their products and services cater to the needs of their own community.

“In actuality, there are enough resources for everyone to share.”

Noor Helmy, an Umno member and the assemblyman for Duyong, said the Rohingya needed to work, “but by our own rules”.

“Existing laws do not allow them to work or run businesses, but if they can’t do either, how are they supposed to survive?” he said.

He said the Rohingya should be required to register with Malaysian authorities and not solely with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

“This is so we have their records and will be able not only to take action but legally control them. Currently, we don’t even know if they swap their refugee cards among themselves because we lack the data.”

Noor Helmy and Pereira were commenting on videos on social media showing an upward trend in locals confronting the Rohingya, often in a hostile manner.

Recently, Pereira chastised Klang MP V Ganabatirau, calling him racist and xenophobic for urging the home ministry to take action against Rohingya traders operating stalls at the Meru market in Klang.

Ganabatirau, a member of DAP, rejected the accusation, saying he was only relating the concerns of his constituents when he raised the matter in the Dewan Rakyat.

Ganabatirau’s predecessor, Charles Santiago, said there should be some space for Rohingya to earn their living although priority should be given to Malaysians.

“They have no support when they come to Malaysia,” he said. “They have left everything behind. It’s really a question of understanding that they’re refugees and therefore their livelihoods should not be taken away from them.”

in kambing cheap labour

actually what's the reason these refugees arent allowed to work and making money for their own living?

refugees got no legal status in malaysia, they are not migrant or immigrant
they should be just passing by malaysia as mid-way country, not settle here

anyone can book a flight ticket to malaysia, claim refugee status and do business, imagine if we can do that in japan, australia, if we can earn some money, we essentially can live there forever

just shoot their ships

rude pieces of shit, waste of sperm and space

Soon they going set up their own country within malaysia also

This post has been edited by doppatroll: Apr 5 2023, 04:58 PM

aaah i see. thanks for the explanation.

Actually, they can return home since MY is refugee friendly.

If they can afford to pay smugglers to come here means they actually have money and resources back home.

Party Rohingya coming soon

Isn't there several kampongs in Langkawi and other States in Peninsula?

not enough to form a rogue state yet....

They can survive well by just sending them back home. They're illegal immigrant to begin with. Many of our own Malaysia pipits still struggling to make ends meet why the hell should we waste resources helping these Rohingya instead?

This post has been edited by leftycall9: Apr 5 2023, 05:05 PM

Just let them work la.

Since it was Najib idea, just send them to Pekan.

I don't get it, we allowed them into our country, but don't allow them to work? Are we planning to send them back or allow them to stay? If it's the later, then let them work laaa

These activist, politicians said this now, but in 10-20 years these Rohingyas will demand the same treatment as C,I and M.

Their population are increasing year by year.

Why do you think their country of origin die-die want to kick them out of the country?

they're not suppose to survive here at all, they're promised by UNHCR not the Malaysian government.

what are we suppose to bear the cost of their misfortunes?
the agreement between UNHCR and Malaysia has and always been a safe temporarily destination until they're allocated to a country that will accept them. NOT PERMANENTLY RESIDING IN MALAYSIA itself.

over the decades the numbers has been increasing at an alarming rate and it's been climbing without stop, we're reaching millions within this year itself and soon we're talking 10% of the Malaysian population.

... now these asshats, clowns of the people's representative want to give them (Rohingya) jobs and we all know having a job means having rights. You fucking jokers suppose to represent the Malaysian people who voted you into office; represent Malaysians not represent all humanity. What have you grown a conscious? I understand you're trying to do good, but stfu and do your good for the Malaysian people who voted you into office instead of giving them jobs why not pressure the UNHC to faster get a country that'll take them in ... ohwait, that's because they won't answer your call and neither does any country that wants them as I recall there's a fucking quota on that and the earth just isn't big enough without countries popping out the minute unlike them breeding and multiplying.

I'm sorry that they've been handed the shorter end of the straw, and maybe I lack the empathy that most humans have but Malaysia is not perfect and when the sovereignty of the country is up to these politicians to defend they'll bend over for a easy fuck. It's as simple as that.

take note of the politicians mentioned in the article that spoke out for them, name me the area that actually has Rohingya. Jokers want to talk blunt? what about the expert that's housing these Rohingya by the hundreds, what does the Langkawi MP has to say about the Rohingya issue that Malaysia is facing because cursed as it is; until the day we're rid of them all, we'll never be rid of them ever.

nope send them back to Myanmar, there are a lot of jobs there

This post has been edited by Avex: Apr 5 2023, 05:09 PM

imagine citizen here already kena press.
still want entertain these bunch?