There are over 94,000 refugees and asylum seekers in Malaysia, and they are among the most destitute and marginalized populations in the country.

 

Refugees do not have the right to work. Their children cannot go to public school. They have very poor access to health care. Poverty and hunger are daily realities. And because they fled from their home countries due to persecution, they cannot return home.

Refugees and asylum seekers are all around us in Malaysia. To survive and provide for their families, refugees and asylum seekers in Malaysia often work in low paying jobs without legal protection. A refugee might have served you coffee this morning in a restaurant. Or built the apartment you are living in. Such is the reality of their daily existence here in Malaysia.

Here is a short (3 min) video for you to understand the issue better.

This is where you can do your part.

Sign the Petition Letter to the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dato’ Seri Najib Tun Razak, to take a stand against forced labor and human trafficking in Malaysia and to ask for a more strongly protected environment for refugees and asylum seekers.

The Wake up Malaysia: Protect Refugees and Asylum Seekers from Forced Labor and Human Trafficking public awareness campaign is held by Health Equity Initiatives (HEI). HEI is an NGO in Kuala Lumpur which is commited to advancing the right to health of marginalized populations through its integrated core programs, which include community based health interventions, professional mental health services, research and monitoring activities, and evidence based advocacy. For more information about the campaign, please click here.

I'm a 20-something writer from Kuala Lumpur. I have written for a news website, which saw about 70 features published on a variety of topics. I'm planning to eke out a living as a freelance writer for...

One reply on “Wake up Malaysia: Protect Refugees and Asylum Seekers from Forced Labor and Human Trafficking”

  1. what is going is against humanity. if minorities are treated in this way,then as the time passes by community which are in majorities may become minority as time passes by.

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