“Malaysia’s plan to give refugees its worst jobs amounts to a human rights ‘facade’: activists”

A proposal to allow UN-registered refugees to work in Malaysia but only in “3D” jobs – dirty, dangerous and difficult work – has been criticised by rights advocates as an unethical “facade” that reveals the government’s lack of empathy over their plight.

Malaysia is not a party to the 1951 Refugee Convention or its Protocols, and currently has no legislative or administrative framework for dealing with refugees.

That is despite the country being home to an estimated 180,000 refugees recognised by the United Nations’ refugee agency UNHCR – over half of them being Rohingya Muslims forced out from Myanmar. Instead, Malaysian authorities lump them together with undocumented migrants and processed as such by the country’s immigration authorities.

At present, Malaysian law also bars registered refugees from accessing formal employment, forcing them to seek employment in the informal sector, which exposes them to abuse and exploitation.

…on October 30, the Human Resources Ministry told parliament it was considering opening up formal employment opportunities to the country’s refugee population, but would only limit them to the jobs Malaysians don’t want to do.

These jobs span sectors including manufacturing, mining and construction…