SHAH ALAM – The growing Rohingya population in Malaysia is increasingly being viewed as a long-term national challenge, with the presence of second and third generation refugees highlighting how the issue has evolved beyond a temporary humanitarian concern.
As of February this year, 126,144 Rohingya refugees were registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Malaysia, a significant increase from an estimated 10,000 three decades ago.
Some observers believed the actual figure could be considerably higher due to the presence of unregistered individuals.
The rapid growth has reignited concerns over the country's capacity to accommodate refugees, including access to public services, employment opportunities, security considerations and the long-term future of the Rohingya community itself.
According to Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia international law expert Professor Dr Salawati Mat Basir, the university had proposed a refugee management mechanism to the government some 20 years ago to prevent the issue from reaching its current scale.
She said the proposal involved creating a special settlement for Rohingya refugees equipped with essential facilities and security measures.
"The special settlement would include clinics, skills centres, schools and high-level security controls. It would not only regulate the population but also prevent human trafficking cases and make it easier for the government and the UNHCR to identify those who are ready to be relocated to a third country.
"In 2005, their numbers were not very large, but they are now estimated to exceed 200,000 people. Taking action to expel them is not easy because not many countries are willing to accept them.
"We cannot simply expel them or send them out to sea. Under these circumstances, the country has to bear their presence and this has angered the public because the issue was not properly addressed from the beginning," she said.
The academic also warned that the continued absence of a comprehensive management system could pose long-term security risks.
She emphasised that the government must act immediately because this could threaten national security in the future.
"If the public launches petitions or voices objections, I understand their concerns because this issue has been raised for more than 20 years.
"What is important is creating a control system that allows the government to know the actual number of refugees in the country and continuously monitor their movements. The government must strengthen its fleet and maritime enforcement to curb the entry of refugees from now on.
"At the same time, the issuance of UNHCR cards should be reviewed because there are allegations of fake cards being available in the market.
"Any long-term solution must balance humanitarian obligations with national security and effective population management," she said.