KUALA LUMPUR, July 27 (Reuters) – Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Monday ordered enforcement agencies to take action against a group of Rohingya Muslim refugees that had gathered in front of the office of the U.N. refugee agency in Kuala Lumpur, saying those without proper permits would be detained.
Hundreds of Rohingya refugees were allegedly evicted from their homes in northern Penang state on Sunday and traveled to the Malaysian capital on buses to seek assistance on resettlement from the UNHCR, the New Straits Times daily reported on Monday.
The evictions came amid a rise in online hate speech and misinformation targeting the Rohingya since May that has led to greater harassment and scrutiny of the ethnic community, including widespread school closures.
According to the UNHCR, there were about 215,600 refugees and asylum-seekers registered with the agency in Malaysia at the end of February, more than half of them ethnic Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar.
In a video posted on his social media accounts, Anwar said the country needed to be strict in enforcing the law, saying the gathering was raising concerns among local residents.
“No one has the right to take over any part of the city,” he said. “I have directed immigration, police, and the local authorities to take strict action.
“Those without permits are to be brought to (the Immigration Department). The rest should be warned that action can be taken against them.”
The UNHCR office in Kuala Lumpur did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It told Reuters on Friday that it was concerned by rising online hate speech, disinformation and dehumanising narratives targeting Rohingya and other refugees, which it said could fuel harassment and discrimination offline.
Though it is not a signatory to the U.N. refugee convention and regards asylum-seekers as illegal migrants, Muslim-majority Malaysia has long been seen as a safe haven for Rohingya fleeing persecution in largely Buddhist Myanmar.
That changed during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the Rohingya were accused of spreading the virus, disrespecting cultural norms and competing with locals for jobs.
(Reporting by Rozanna Latiff; Editing by David Stanway)
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