SHAH ALAM - Data from the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) in October last year revealed that the Orang Asli population is projected to rise to 227,900 in 2025, compared to 213,461 in 2020.
This information was shared by Chief Statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin through the department’s special report on Orang Asli demographics.
However, concerns have surfaced following data from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which estimates that up to 126,000 Rohingya were registered in Malaysia as of last February.
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia International law expert Professor Dr Salawati Mat Basir, indicated that the Rohingya population may now exceed 200,000 when including those who are unregistered.
This places the Rohingya community close to surpassing the Orang Asli population in the country.
In other words, the gap between the two groups is narrowing—particularly if the Rohingya population continues to grow through births and new arrivals.
Under certain circumstances, the number of Rohingya could approach or even exceed that of the Orang Asli within the coming decades.
However, such projections depend on several factors, including the effectiveness of border control and enforcement, the resettlement of refugees to third countries and political developments in Myanmar.
From a social and political standpoint, issues like this are often associated with concerns over job competition, access to public services and questions of national identity.
Yet it is crucial to recognise that the Orang Asli are the indigenous people of Malaysia, holding a unique position in the nation’s history and constitutional framework, while most Rohingya in the country are refugees or asylum seekers without formal citizenship status.
As such, comparing the two groups purely in terms of population size does not fully reflect their legal standing or political influence.
Nevertheless, the possibility that the Rohingya population could eventually surpass that of the Orang Asli cannot be entirely dismissed if current trends persist.
More importantly, focus should remain on how Malaysia addresses the challenges surrounding the Rohingya refugee situation, while ensuring the protection, development and welfare of the Orang Asli community for the country’s long-term stability.