Johor Refugee Stakeholder Meeting Bring Focus To Needs, Solutions Of Refugees In The South

JOHOR BARU, 13 November 2018 (UNHCR) – UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency today held a multi-sectoral Stakeholders’ Meeting in Johor to discuss issues of protection and solutions for refugees living in the Southern region of Malaysia, and explore opportunities for new collaboration and cooperation.

“For many years now, civil society groups and refugee communities in the Southern states of Malaysia have done excellent work in assisting the refugee community living here,” said Richard Towle, UNHCR Representative.

“But if we really want to help refugees in Malaysia, we have to empower them to look after themselves better.  We know that communities that are able to look after themselves are more resilient, more resourceful, and are less of a burden on the hospitality and resources of the host community.  If they are allowed to live and work here lawfully, with proper documentation, this will be a ‘win-win’ for Malaysia and refugees.  Refugees will be safer and less exploited and Malaysia’s concerns about law, order and security and the economy will be more effectively addressed,” Towle said.

“Through this Stakeholders’ Meeting, we hope to expand this network of supporters to include new partners, including the private sector and the local Government.”

The Stakeholders’ Meeting was attended by over 70 participants comprising, among others, Government representatives, civil society, corporate sector, academia, and refugee communities.

YB Tuan Dr. S. Ramakrishnan, the Chairman of Consumerism, Human Resources and Unity Committee from the Johor State Assembly presented a Keynote Address during the Stakeholders’ Meeting.

“It is crucial that we all come together now, because awareness of the importance of individual roles as well as a concerted effort by all stakeholders and the willingness to share the burden will make any intervention and effort more effective and efficient on various levels,” he said.

YB Tuan Dr. S. Ramakrishnan added that “It is not just up to UNHCR but all  stakeholders from all sectors and walks of life who need to come together to stand in solidarity with the refugees and in finding solutions together. Solutions that will enable refugees to be self-reliant and resilient, to be able to also contribute to our local economy and play a role in ensuring the prosperity and continued development of Johor.”

During the Stakeholders’ Meeting, discussions were held around four key thematic areas of livelihoods and work rights, education, healthcare, child protection, and sexual and gender-based violence and protection, including detention.

Malaysia hosts over 161,000 refugees and asylum-seekers, mainly from Myanmar and other countries such as Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Somalia, and Syria. These are persons who have been forced to flee their countries due to war and human rights abuses.

In light of the commitments in the Government’s Manifesto, which outlines several areas to strengthen support for refugees, innovative approaches and new areas of cooperation and collaboration can be explored to address both the legitimate interests of Malaysians and the protection needs of refugees, in ways that are mutually reinforcing.

In recent years, UNHCR has worked to strengthen the coordination and capacity of civil society organisations and refugee organisations clustered according to the Northern, Southern, and Eastern geographical regions of Peninsular Malaysia. These regional clusters of organisations, including refugee community groups, focus on assisting the most vulnerable refugees while empowering and strengthening self-reliance of the broader refugee population in these areas.

In September this year, UNHCR conducted a similar meeting in Penang for partners and stakeholders working with refugees in the North.