The Rohingya community accounts for only 0.02 per cent of the country’s overall crime rate, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Mohd Khalid Ismail said, urging the public to avoid speculation and negative narratives about the ethnic group.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Mohd Khalid revealed that only 89 Rohingya individuals had been linked to criminal activities between 2024 and the present.
“Their involvement in crime accounts for just 0.02 per cent of total criminal offences,” he said.
He expressed concern that certain parties were exploiting the issue to spread negative perceptions of the Rohingya community while ignoring positive contributions and realities on the ground.
The police chief called on the public to refrain from making inflammatory remarks or engaging in speculation on social media, warning that such behaviour could fuel racial tensions and threaten public harmony.
“I hope we can lower the temperature on this issue so that we can maintain a more peaceful and harmonious environment while facing the challenges before us,” he said.
Mohd Khalid stressed that everyone in Malaysia is equal before the law and that action would be taken against any individual who commits an offence, regardless of nationality or background.
“If they commit an offence, we will take action against them just as we would against anyone else who comes to this country,” he said.
Addressing concerns over alleged cross-border human smuggling activities involving Rohingya individuals, he said those found breaking the law would face strict enforcement action.
He noted that security agencies, including the Royal Malaysian Navy and the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), continue to conduct joint patrols and border monitoring operations to curb illegal activities.
Mohd Khalid also highlighted that the Rohingya refugee situation is part of a broader international humanitarian issue involving Myanmar.
He explained that Malaysia had previously worked with several countries under refugee resettlement programmes, with between 7,000 and 8,000 refugees relocated annually to third countries.
However, he noted that some countries that had previously accepted refugees had since reduced or stopped such programmes, leaving Malaysia with a significant refugee population.
According to figures from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Malaysia had approximately 215,600 registered refugees and asylum seekers as of February this year.
Of that total, 193,824 were from Myanmar, including around 126,144 Rohingya, 15,774 Chin and 33,002 individuals from other ethnic groups displaced by conflict and persecution.
In recent weeks, the Rohingya community has come under increasing public scrutiny amid allegations linking some individuals to illegal activities.
Several non-governmental organisations have raised concerns over what they describe as a growing wave of hate speech, misinformation and intimidation targeting Rohingya refugees in Malaysia.
Mohd Khalid reiterated that the public should rely on verified facts and avoid actions that could jeopardise national security, public order and social cohesion.
