Malaysia’s Support for Rohingya Refugees : The Impact of Policy and Muslim Solidarity

Abstract

Malaysia is home to around 100,000 Rohingya refugees, and more, considering the refugees who are undocumented. Even though Malaysia hosts a large population of refugees, the country is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention which means that refugees are not given rights while in Malaysia. This thesis provides general research on the Rohingya refugee crisis, specifically the Rohingya community’s immigration to Malaysia and their experiences during their time there. The thesis investigates the process of aid that Malaysia provides to the Rohingya refugee community without having refugee rights, and the role of religion in the aid that is provided. The research question is: How has Malaysia supported the Rohingya refugee population in its country and how has the role of religion (Muslim solidarity) impacted their aid? The aid provided by the Malaysian government to Rohingya refugees will be analyzed to investigate what the Malaysian government is doing to support refugees and how this impacts the Rohingya refugee’s time within the country. To answer my question, I carried out qualitative research in Malaysia where I personally interviewed Malaysians and Rohingyas about their personal experiences on the topic. I also observed the Rohingya community by living with a Rohingya refugee family and volunteering at a Rohingya community-based learning center to view their daily experiences as refugees in Malaysia. Historical context and background information is presented to give knowledge about the Rohingya population and how they have been driven to become a stateless population that has fled to neighboring countries like Malaysia. A critical discourse analysis is used to analyze how the Malaysian government has represented itself to provide aid to refugees and what kind of language is used to perceive them as supportive to refugees in their country. I use ethnographic research to present the impact that the Malaysian government has on Rohingya refugee’s lives. Durkheim’s theory of religion is also used to analyze the clash of communities between the Malaysian nation and Rohingya refugees that reside in Malaysia. This will support my sub-question on the role of religion in the process of providing aid for refugees in the country.