KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 13 — The government is considering providing additional social assistance to refugees registered with both the government and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), including granting them legal employment rights in Malaysia.

However, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories), Dr Zaliha Mustafa, said the specifics of this proposal are still being refined, taking into account labour requirements and conditions across various sectors, according to a report in Malay daily Berita Harian today.

She stated that this approval would only be finalised once all refugees and asylum seekers in Malaysia are officially registered with the government.

“Currently, the government is implementing National Security Council Directive No. 23: Policy and Mechanism for Managing Refugees and Asylum Seekers (2023 revision), which was signed by the prime minister on June 14, 2023.

“This directive serves as the government’s framework for supervising and managing refugees and asylum seekers in Malaysia, outlining the roles and responsibilities of each involved government agency,” she said.

She made these remarks in a written response to a question from Teresa Kok Suh Sim (PH-Seputeh) in the Dewan Rakyat, who asked whether UNHCR-recognised refugees could be granted legal employment as a measure to address the country’s labour shortage.

Expanding on the matter, Zaliha noted that Malaysia is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention or the 1967 Refugee Protocol.

“However, on humanitarian grounds, Malaysia has extended social assistance to Rohingya refugees from Myanmar, as well as refugees from other countries.

“The government allows these groups to remain temporarily in the country, subject to existing laws, before they are resettled in a third country or return to their country of origin,” she added.