Rohingya In Malaysia Misunderstood And Forgotten

---

 



Hatred and hate speech against the Rohingya community in Malaysia have surged alarmingly in recent times.
A recent post by a local newspaper, reporting the tragic deaths of 427 Rohingya in two separate boat sinkings in the Bay of Bengal on May 9 and 10, was flooded with “haha” reactions on social media. In stark contrast, the country collectively mourns the death of a baby elephant.
This painful disparity in empathy highlights a harsh truth: many Malaysians either feel exhausted by the Rohingya issue or remain unaware of the ongoing genocide and humanitarian crisis in Arakan, Myanmar.
In this article, I aim to examine the reasons why the Rohingya are once again being forced to flee, and to expose the Myanmarese’s continuous and firm grip on a genocidal and racist agenda against the Rohingya.
ADSThe dire situation in Arakan
Arakan, the home of the majority of Rohingya, is now largely under the control of the Arakan Army, an armed rebel group composed of Buddhist Rakhine ethnic nationalists.
Since the renewal of fighting in late 2023, the Myanmar junta has severely restricted the flow of goods to areas controlled by this group. The humanitarian situation has worsened further due to the US cutting funding, forcing international NGOs to suspend operations. People are starving.
In Sittwe, the capital of Rakhine State, 1kg of beef costs over 80,000 MMK (around US$20), and an apple costs 10,000 MMK (about US$2). Meanwhile, Rohingya residents have little to no income, and their movements are tightly restricted.
On April 30, a family of four in a Sittwe IDP (internally displaced persons) camp attempted suicide by ingesting poison due to famine. Thankfully, neighbours intervened and saved them.
Forced displacement and ‘scholarticide’
The Arakan Army has forcibly displaced nearly all Rohingya from their lands. Villages are being cleared and reportedly prepared by Bengali Buddhist Rakhine from Bangladesh for resettlement.
In Buthidaung Township, where I was born and raised, over 30 Rohingya homes were taken over and redistributed to Rakhine settlers from Thandwe District.
The Arakan Army is also engaged in a deliberate campaign of “scholasticide” against the Rohingya, especially in Buthidaung and Maungdaw. Educated Rohingya individuals have been systematically targeted. Last year, several Islamic scholars and teachers from Maungdaw were kidnapped by the Arakan Army.
Many educated youths and teachers have disappeared, including one who taught me Burmese during my matriculation year. Their families do not know whether they are dead or alive. Those with financial resources could flee to Yangon after losing everything in Arakan.
Sadly, Burmese-language media remain silent on the crimes of the Arakan Army because it is fighting - and defeating - the junta forces.
Global silence and media manipulation
ADSWhat is happening in Arakan is no less severe than the atrocities in Palestine. The key difference is that Palestinians have media coverage, journalists, cameras, and internet access.
Palestinians in Gaza fleeing their homes after being bombed by ZionistsThe Rohingya have none of these tools to highlight their suffering before the world. As a result, our persecution continues in silence, overlooked and unheard.
The emotional toll of losing loved ones, homes, and ancestral land to the Rakhine is immense.
Adding to this pain is the hypocrisy we witness: many of the same Rakhine individuals - key financial backers of the Arakan Army’s violent anti-Muslim agenda - who displaced us and forced us into internment camps, are now seeking asylum in Malaysia.
They often arrive with Myanmar passports, only to discard them later and register for protection under the UNHCR.
Misrepresentation and discrimination in Malaysia
I’ve personally seen many Chin, Kachin, Myanmar Muslims, and Kaabya (mixed-race individuals) using both passports and UNHCR cards. There is not a single Chin, and other ethnic groups from Myanmar, not entering Malaysia illegally by land or overstaying after entering by air.
Yet, Malay-language media rarely report on this. Instead, all eyes remain fixed on the Rohingya - simply because we arrive by boat. Some media outlets even misuse the term “Rohingya” to attract attention from the innocent audience.
As a Rohingya, I find it heartbreaking and dangerous that our identity is being misused in such ways. This kind of media behavior and yellow journalism fuels misunderstanding and hate, putting the entire Rohingya community at further risk.
Not all UNHCR cardholders are Rohingya
Malaysian media and the public must understand that not all UNHCR cardholders are Rohingya. We are not the only refugee group from Myanmar.
According to the UNHCR’s official website, there are over 61,000 Chins and other ethnic minorities registered as refugees. If undocumented individuals were included, that number would likely be much higher.
One major reason for the rising hostility toward the Rohingya is the widespread misconception that every individual involved in a crime who claims to be Rohingya actually is. This confusion is made easier by the fact that UNHCR cards do not indicate a person’s ethnicity or community.
I’m not suggesting that the Rohingya are entirely blameless - crime exists in every community, but the way media narratives consistently single out the Rohingya, as if we are the only refugee group in Malaysia, creates a deeply harmful and misleading stereotype.
It is profoundly unjust to stigmatise an entire community - one that has been denied education for decades and continues to endure a systematic genocide simply because of our faith - for actions that do not represent us as a whole.
In truth, many Chins and other ethnic groups do not qualify for refugee status. Their lives would not be at risk if they returned to Myanmar. Some are even migrant workers who apply for refugee cards after their work visas expire. Ironically, these same groups were often complicit in our persecution.
In primary school, I remember teachers from these ethnic groups saying, “You Kalar, go to Arab countries. You go to Muslim countries,” for the smallest mistakes.
It’s something I didn’t understand then, quite young to understand why the teacher was saying like that, but now recognise as a deeply rooted form of racism. These racists who made us aliens in our own country, Myanmar, still can’t accept us as people from Myanmar.
Even in Malaysia, these groups still exclude Rohingya. For example, the Coalition of Burma Ethnics in Malaysia (Cobem) includes all ethnic-based organisations - like the Kachin Refugee Committee, Malaysia Karen Organization, Chin Refugee Committee, and others - except those representing Rohingya. We remain outsiders, even among Myanmar’s refugee communities.
Systemic racism and hypocrisy of the NUG
This racism and sense of superiority didn’t start with those living abroad. It’s deeply rooted within Myanmar’s political system - even among those who claim to stand for democracy and federalism.
The National Unity Government (NUG), the so-called democratic government in exile, managed to denounce the 2008 Constitution, which gave the military sweeping powers. But it has yet to repeal the 1982 Citizenship Law - the very law that stripped Rohingya of citizenship, made us stateless, and laid the groundwork for our genocide.
There was a time when I used to blame the system. But thinking critically, I’ve realised: these are the people who develop the system. It’s like the age-old question: which came first - the chicken or the egg?
Though the Burmese Buddhist Hitler known as Min Aung Hlaing is losing battles on the ground, he has succeeded in implanting the seeds of racism and Islamophobia in the hearts of the people. I’ve attended many pro-Myanmar events in Malaysia, both online and in person, organised by Cobem and others. Every time I hear the slogan “Stand with Myanmar”, what I truly hear is: “Stand with racism.”
Junta leader Min Aung HlaingBy putting the racist and genocidal agenda on the plate against the Muslims, how can they beg to stand with Myanmar in a Muslim dominated country like Malaysia? It’s truly astonishing for me. How shameless can they be?
Malaysia’s role and missed opportunity
Despite hosting the 46th Asean Summit with the theme “Inclusivity and Sustainability”, Malaysia has excluded the Rohingya crisis from its agenda. As a Rohingya refugee and survivor of the 2017 genocide, I can’t help but feel that our suffering is being ignored. We have been forgotten - even by a country that once gave us hope.
Malaysia, as one of the countries most directly impacted by the Rohingya crisis, must play a leadership role and try every possible way to repatriate the Rohingya refugees back to Myanmar.
As Asean chair, Malaysia still has time to convene special talks on the Rohingya issue with regional partners and stakeholders. The goal must be to find a sustainable solution for all Rohingya - both those still suffering in Arakan and those scattered in refugee camps across the region.
We were not born to be tortured. We were not born to be refugees. We were not born to waste our lives in confinement and exile.
Our suffering is real. Our pain is ongoing. And our silence is not by choice - it is imposed. When you see the Rohingya, know that we are not invaders, not criminals, not parasites.
We are a people denied our homeland, denied our voice, and now denied our dignity in exile. We are not asking for pity and sympathy. We are asking for justice - and for the world to finally see us as human. - Mkini
PACIFIST FAROOQ is a Rohingya poet, academic, and author of “A Lost Bird Between Genocide and Displacement”. He is now based in Malaysia.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.

---