Rohingya refugee children in Malaysia are increasingly afraid to attend school, and families are being evicted from villages where they have lived for years, as a fierce wave of anti-refugee sentiment sweeps the nation. The shift marks a dramatic reversal from a decade ago, when Malaysia's then-prime minister called for the country to protect the stateless minority fleeing violence in Myanmar.
In 2017, Najib Razak declared:
"We must defend them, not just because they are of the same faith, but [because] they are humans, their lives have value."Nine years later, that protective stance has eroded into widespread hostility, with raids on learning centres, forced evictions, and inflammatory rhetoric from public figures.
Education Under Threat
Because Rohingya children are barred from Malaysian public schools, they depend on unlicensed, community-run learning centres that have become increasingly vulnerable to police action. A school operator who requested anonymity, known here as Irhan, founded a learning centre in northern Malaysia for children aged six to 15. Last month, eight uniformed police officers raided the facility, photographed students, and ordered some to leave.
"The students are just here to learn. Now their families are afraid,"Irhan says. The uncertainty has forced schools across the country to adopt defensive measures. One learning centre in Selangor suspended classes for a month and reopened in late July with new rules: students must not wear uniforms and must go straight home after class without lingering or gathering in groups.
A teacher at that facility, identified as Farooq, explained the reasoning:
"We're keeping a low profile to protect our students from getting attacked."The crackdowns are often haphazard and driven by public sentiment rather than consistent policy, leaving educators uncertain about what restrictions may come next.
Forced Displacement and Detention
Beyond schools, Rohingya communities are being uprooted from settlements they have inhabited for years. In some parts of Malaysia, local residents have told media outlets that allowing Rohingya to remain could create "social problems." After being evicted from a fishing village near Penang, approximately 120 refugees sought shelter outside the UN's refugee agency office in Kuala Lumpur—and were temporarily detained. More than half of them were children.
According to , Malaysian authorities released more than 100 Rohingya asylum seekers who had been detained in late July and distributed them to various locations across the country. The government has also intensified enforcement operations, with immigration authorities holding 10,388 Myanmar nationals in detention depots by mid-August, according to Malaysia's immigration ministry.
The Rohingya Crisis: Historical Context
The UN refugee agency estimates that more than 126,000 Rohingya have resettled in Malaysia, making it the second-largest host country after Bangladesh. However, rights groups believe the actual number is significantly higher, as many remain undocumented.
Rohingya Muslims are denied citizenship in Myanmar, a predominantly Buddhist nation. Although Rohingya communities trace their presence back centuries in what is now Rakhine state, successive Myanmar governments have classified them as illegal migrants. Ethnic tensions with the local Buddhist population have repeatedly erupted into violence, displacing tens of thousands.
The largest exodus began in August 2017, following a brutal military crackdown. The Myanmar army massacred thousands of Rohingya, committed widespread sexual violence against women, and burned entire villages. The UN characterised these actions as
"textbook ethnic cleansing,"and the Biden administration determined it constituted genocide. Myanmar now faces a landmark genocide case at the International Court of Justice, where deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi testified. As Myanmar's leader at the time, she faced sharp criticism for her government's response, including downplaying the violence and suggesting reports of severity were exaggerated.
In 2017 alone, more than a million Rohingya fled to Bangladesh. But overcrowded camps, violence, and diminishing aid have driven many to attempt perilous journeys across the Andaman Sea toward Malaysia. These voyages on cramped, fragile fishing vessels have claimed thousands of lives. About 250 Rohingya and Bangladeshi migrants went missing after their boat sank in the Andaman Sea, highlighting the ongoing dangers of these crossings.
Although Malaysia has never formally recognised asylum seekers—meaning refugees have no legal right to housing, employment, or education—many Rohingya viewed the country as a place of safety and economic opportunity, particularly given its Muslim-majority population and earlier official calls for protection.
The Shift in Public Sentiment
As more Rohingya arrived on Malaysian shores, public welcome deteriorated. During the COVID-19 pandemic, refugees were accused of spreading the virus and competing with locals for jobs. Petitions calling for deportations flooded social media, and authorities turned away hundreds of asylum seekers who had been adrift at sea for weeks.
Hostility has resurged with greater intensity in 2026, amplified by social media campaigns. In May, online posts accused refugees of improperly disposing of animals sacrificed during Eid al-Adha. These claims quickly escalated into unfounded and exaggerated allegations that the community was demanding automatic citizenship, seeking political power, and attempting to "take over" Malaysia. An online petition urging authorities to "Remove Rohingya from Malaysia" gathered more than 420,000 signatures before being removed following criticism from rights groups.
Karim, a Rohingya activist now 45 years old and living in Penang, arrived in Malaysia in 2003. He recalls that locals' hospitality initially
"made [him] feel safe."He explained:
"Life as a refugee is tough. It's disappointing to be stuck working in construction all these years. However, I found Malaysians to be very friendly and kind, which made me feel safe."That has changed dramatically.
"Now, however, life has become increasingly difficult. I am often afraid to go outside. I've been asked several times while on my commute, 'Why are you making a mess of our city? Why don't you go back?'"
Irhan, who arrived in Malaysia in 2001 as a teenager during an earlier wave of asylum seekers, shares similar sentiments. Both men say most Rohingya wish to return to Myanmar eventually, but doing so now presents grave dangers. Their home state of Rakhine has suffered catastrophic destruction amid intense fighting between the military regime and the Arakan Army. Returning Rohingya could face forced conscription into the junta's military or become targets of armed opposition groups.
The UN released a report this week from an independent fact-finding mission detailing how the plight of minorities in Myanmar has
"plummeted to a new low."UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk stated on Tuesday that the Rohingya are
"suffering misery and cruelty on multiple levels and across the country that is heartbreaking."
Political Scapegoating and Government Rhetoric
Some analysts argue that Rohingya are being used as convenient scapegoats for Malaysia's rising cost of living, with hostility concentrated on them because they form the largest group of asylum seekers. Farooq, the teacher, questioned this logic:
"I'm not saying that all Rohingya are good. There are good and bad people in every community. So why should a few individuals' actions be used to typecast a whole community?"He added:
"I escaped the genocide in Myanmar hoping to find safety. Instead, many Rohingya today continue to live with fear of simply being who we are."
During a campaign speech in July, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced that Myanmar had agreed to take back 5,000 Rohingya refugees from Malaysia, citing
"good relations"between the two countries. He warned the Rohingya not to disrupt Malaysian life, stating:
"This is our country. Malaysia is our country. Let no one else interfere."However, according to Al Jazeera, Malaysia subsequently said it will not send back the initial group of 5,000 Rohingya refugees if they face persecution or threats to their lives in Myanmar.
The mainstreaming of anti-Rohingya rhetoric is evident in statements from high-ranking officials. Nurulhidayah Zahid, daughter of Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, compared the community to
"monkeys in the forest,"writing:
"Enough of using religious and humanitarian sentiments. Do good in moderation. Don't let the monkeys in the forest be fed, [while] the children at home die of hunger."A former deputy police chief, Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay, likened the Rohingya influx to a
"cancer"requiring urgent action.
The Malaysian prime minister's office and foreign ministry did not respond to requests for comment on these developments.
Broader Refugee Concerns
According to Human Rights Watch, Malaysia's forced-return risk affects more than 215,000 registered refugees and asylum seekers, including approximately 126,000 Rohingya. The government introduced a new refugee registration system in January 2026 called the Dokumen Pendaftaran Pelarian, designed to replace the UN refugee agency's current registration role. Human Rights Watch has raised concerns that this system poses protection, rights, and privacy risks for hundreds of thousands of refugees and asylum seekers.
Malaysia's intensified enforcement operations have been described by officials as part of a broader "year of enforcement" in 2025, with operations set to intensify further in 2026. Some learning centres have been able to continue operations with legal protections—a Marang District Council statement in June confirmed that a Rohingya learning centre in Terengganu was legally leased to an NGO supported by UNHCR since 2020—but many others operate in legal limbo.
What Comes Next
Malaysia announced that the first phase of a voluntary repatriation programme will see almost 1,500 Myanmar nationals return on 29 September, according to government statements. Officials said the foreign and home ministries are still reviewing the broader 5,000-person Rohingya repatriation plan announced in July. The repatriation programme remains tied to detention figures, with authorities holding thousands of Myanmar nationals in immigration depots.
Some observers believe anti-Rohingya hostility will intensify as Malaysia approaches a general election that must be held before February 2028. Yap Lay Sheng, a researcher from the human rights group Fortify Rights, warned:
"[Refugees and migrants] are once again being turned into convenient political scapegoats to divert attention from deeper domestic challenges."Yap added:
"For years, the Malaysian government has sought to present the country internationally as a humane and compassionate Muslim nation. Its treatment of the Rohingya exposes the hollowness of that claim."
Back in the industrial building that served as his classroom for several months, Irhan focuses on immediate concerns rather than shifting politics.
"I don't know where to get help, or who can get us registered as a school,"he says.
"I hope the Malaysians can understand that the children just want an opportunity to learn."
