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On July 27 (local time), Rohingya refugees are taken into police custody in front of the UNHCR office in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. / Reuters, Yonhap News

Malaysia detains around 100 Rohingya Muslim refugees gathered in front of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) office.

According to Reuters on July 28 (local time), Malaysian authorities detained around 100 Rohingya refugees gathered in front of the UNHCR office in the capital Kuala Lumpur on the evening of the previous day. Transported away from the scene in four police trucks, they were known to be people who arrived from the northern state of Penang a day earlier after losing their homes to seek help.

They said they were driven out of their homes by local residents in Penang on July 26. They traveled up to the capital Kuala Lumpur on an overnight bus to request resettlement assistance from the UNHCR. Women and children were also among those detained.

Sayed Kasim, a refugee who has lived in Malaysia for 20 years, arrived at the UNHCR building with his wife and children early that morning but received no assistance from any agency, expressing frustration that "no one helped us with our problem, and no one understands."

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim also warned that the immigration authorities will detain anyone without valid residence permits, citing public concern raised over people gathering in front of the UNHCR building. In a video posted on social media, he said that "no one has the right to occupy any part of the city."

Penang State also claimed that the Rohingya moved voluntarily with support from state authorities and federal agencies, including the National Security Council. Anuar Abdul Rahman, Seberang Perai Utara District Police Chief, stated in a release that "this relocation took place due to economic and territorial competition resulting from the growing Rohingya population in the area."

Bryony Lau, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch (HRW), pointed out that Rohingya refugees in Malaysia are constantly exposed to threats of arrest and crackdowns, with the atmosphere of fear worsening due to a surge in online hate. She said that "the Malaysian government should prioritize protecting refugees driven from their homes rather than further intimidating them through detention."

This eviction occurred amid an increase in online hate speech and misinformation targeting the Rohingya since May. In the process, harassment and surveillance against the Rohingya escalated, leading to a wave of school closures.

According to the UNHCR website, as of the end of February, 126,000 Rohingya Muslims are registered in Malaysia. On top of this, human rights organizations believe there are far more living without documentation. Although Malaysia is not a party to the UN Refugee Convention and legally treats asylum seekers as illegal immigrants, the Muslim-majority country has long been regarded as a haven for the Rohingya fleeing persecution in Buddhist-majority Myanmar.

That perception shifted following the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time, the Rohingya faced accusations of spreading the virus, disrespecting local culture, and competing with locals for jobs.

                                                                                                              Jeong Li-na