- Inconvenience in room and space for the students
- Financial insufficiency for notebooks and teaching aids
- Dealings with children who have poor educational background
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Life of a Refugee in Malaysia
“A refugee is a person who, owing to a well founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country.”
1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, Article 1(a)(2)
Malaysia is not a State Party to the 1951 Convention and its Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees. As there are currently no legislative or administrative provisions in place for dealing with the situation of asylum-seekers or refugees in Malaysia, UNHCR (the UN Refugee Agency) conducts all activities related to the reception, registration, documentation and status determination of asylum-seekers and refugees. Ultimately the refugees hope to be resettled to developed countries including the United States, Australia, Canada, Denmark, New Zealand, Sweden, and the Czech Republic.
The refugee children who have access to education in Malaysia attend either education projects run by UNHCR, or community-based education classes that are organised by the refugee communities themselves. These community-based schools are located within the refugee population, wherever there are refugee communities with a large number of children of school-going age. Classes are usually held in rented flats or shop houses, where rooms are converted into classrooms, and are largely overcrowded and lacking in basic teaching facilities.
So what do the students think of life in Malaysia? Here are some thoughts from the classroom:
“In Malaysia I am still scared when I see the police. I’ve heard that they arrest people who do not have a passport. We only have the UNHCR card. In our minds we are always thinking we will be arrested by the police and we live in contstant fear."
“My mother and aunt went to see the agent but on the way they were arrested by the police and the RELA officers. My 7 year old disabled sister and 3 year old cousin who was also with them were also arrested and put into a detention camp. In Myanmar we have problems with the military government but here in Malaysia we also have nightmares with the local laws.”
Note: RELA officers are civil volunteers working for the Malaysian government who conduct checks on the documents of migrant workers and refugees.
“When I came here the agent sent me to work in a restaurant where I earned RM200 (USD 66) per month. I ran away from my job and came to the refugee school.”
"When we go to school we get to study and eat. We are happy.”
"We feel unsafe here because we don’t have any documents. When someone knocks on our door we run and hide under the bed.”
"In the beginning I was too scared of the police to go outside as I didn't have any documents. So I applied for my papers at the UN".
"Staying in Malaysia is also a struggle. We are afraid of the police and RELA."
"Noone wants to employ my parents. Communication is difficult. Every day they look for jobs and when they can't find any they are depressed"
"It is so helpful that I am learning English at the refugee school. I am grateful for the volunteer teachers who teach at the refugee schools."
'I have new best friends and best teachers."
"In Malaysia many locals and foreigners have touched our lives and helped us in different ways."
1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, Article 1(a)(2)
Malaysia is not a State Party to the 1951 Convention and its Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees. As there are currently no legislative or administrative provisions in place for dealing with the situation of asylum-seekers or refugees in Malaysia, UNHCR (the UN Refugee Agency) conducts all activities related to the reception, registration, documentation and status determination of asylum-seekers and refugees. Ultimately the refugees hope to be resettled to developed countries including the United States, Australia, Canada, Denmark, New Zealand, Sweden, and the Czech Republic.
Employment
Due to their lack of official status they have no access to legal employment. They tend to work in jobs that the local population do not wish to take (the 3D jobs: dirty, dangerous and difficult).Education
Refugee children in Malaysia do not have access to formal education. The lack of basic education among refugee children will become a handicap for them as they grow up. It inhibits their opportunities to better their lives, creating a possible second generation of an illiterate/unskilled community.Community-based education classes (like CSO)
So what do the students think of life in Malaysia? Here are some thoughts from the classroom:
“In Malaysia I am still scared when I see the police. I’ve heard that they arrest people who do not have a passport. We only have the UNHCR card. In our minds we are always thinking we will be arrested by the police and we live in contstant fear."
“My mother and aunt went to see the agent but on the way they were arrested by the police and the RELA officers. My 7 year old disabled sister and 3 year old cousin who was also with them were also arrested and put into a detention camp. In Myanmar we have problems with the military government but here in Malaysia we also have nightmares with the local laws.”
Note: RELA officers are civil volunteers working for the Malaysian government who conduct checks on the documents of migrant workers and refugees.
“When I came here the agent sent me to work in a restaurant where I earned RM200 (USD 66) per month. I ran away from my job and came to the refugee school.”
"When we go to school we get to study and eat. We are happy.”
"We feel unsafe here because we don’t have any documents. When someone knocks on our door we run and hide under the bed.”
"In the beginning I was too scared of the police to go outside as I didn't have any documents. So I applied for my papers at the UN".
"Staying in Malaysia is also a struggle. We are afraid of the police and RELA."
"Noone wants to employ my parents. Communication is difficult. Every day they look for jobs and when they can't find any they are depressed"
"It is so helpful that I am learning English at the refugee school. I am grateful for the volunteer teachers who teach at the refugee schools."
'I have new best friends and best teachers."
"In Malaysia many locals and foreigners have touched our lives and helped us in different ways."
