SHAH ALAM – Rohingya human rights activist Yasmin Ullah has dismissed circulating claims that Rohingya refugees in Malaysia are demanding land and special rights, describing the narrative as false and deliberately constructed to spread misinformation and scapegoat vulnerable communities.
In a video posted on social media, the Canadian, who is executive director of Rohingnya Women Collaborative Network said the allegation currently circulating online is completely untrue.
She added that verification carried out through contacts in Malaysia also confirmed that the claims being circulated were fabricated.
“Our friends in Malaysia have actually gotten in touch with this group that is seen in this post. And it turned out this is completely false. It is made up,” she said.
Ullah stressed that Rohingya refugees did not flee their homeland to make demands on other countries, but were forced to leave due to persecution and statelessness.
She added that economic hardship and social pressure in host countries often create conditions where refugees become convenient targets for public anger.
“When economic pressure, social challenges exist, it's easy to blame refugees.
“But ask yourself, who benefits when ordinary people are divided and angry at each other?” she said.
She also drew parallels between current online narratives in Malaysia and rhetoric previously used in Myanmar, warning that repeated dehumanisation carries serious risks.
“It’s not like we've not seen this before. The hate speech targeting Rohingya in Malaysia today echoes the exact same narrative spread by Buddhist nationalists in Myanmar before the 2017 genocidal campaign portraying Rohingya as invaders, threats and people who don't belong,” she said.
She added that while migration and regional displacement issues are real, they should be addressed through proper policy discussions rather than blame directed at refugees.
“Focus on the real culprits – military dictators, corrupt elites and regional systems that profit from trade while people are displaced across Asean,” she said.
She emphasised that refugees should not be held responsible for crises they did not create.
“Refugees did not create this crisis. They're living with its consequences,” she said.
Earlier, a comment made by a Facebook account attributed to the Rohingya Solidarity Network Malaysia sparked controversy after it stated that Malaysia should allocate land to the Rohingya community.
The post also described Bumiputera and Malay privileges as “a racist policy” that allegedly denies the rights of Rohingya in the country.
The comment further called for the Rohingya community to unite and demand that the Malaysian government grant full rights to them, while asserting that Malays do not have the authority to determine the rights of Rohingya in Malaysia.
The provocative comments quickly went viral, fueling intense public anger and triggering a massive wave of hateful and negative backlash against the Rohingya community in Malaysia.