Malaysia should reconsider allowing the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to maintain an office in the country if the agency continues to refuse to cooperate on refugee management, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said.
Speaking after inspecting early voting for the Negeri Sembilan state election at the Sendayan Air Base, Mohamad said closer cooperation with the government was essential to ensure proper screening before UNHCR refugee cards are issued.
“If they are unwilling to cooperate, then it is time for us to reconsider UNHCR’s presence in Malaysia. Otherwise, we will continue to bear the burden,” he said.
Mohamad claimed Malaysia had become a destination for refugees partly because the UNHCR maintains an office in the country that issues refugee cards, adding that the process needs to be better managed.
He said the Home Ministry is working to ensure all refugee applicants undergo thorough screening and receive government approval before a UNHCR card is issued.
According to Mohamad, Malaysia also needs a formal agreement with UNHCR that clearly defines the agency’s jurisdiction, responsibilities and operational limits.
“We need an international agreement that specifies what they can and cannot do. At the moment, there appears to be no clear standard operating procedure.
“Some applicants submit their applications online while still in Myanmar and later come to Malaysia to collect their cards. That suggests there is no proper screening, and this is something we need to address,” he said.
Mohamad stressed that Malaysia must strike a balance between its humanitarian responsibilities and national security concerns.
Responding to the remarks, former UNHCR head of education Wan Mimi Zarina Wan Azmin, who is now chief executive officer of Muslim Aid Malaysia, said the agency has always relied on cooperation with the Malaysian government and that its presence is intended as an interim arrangement.
She said UNHCR operates in Malaysia because the country does not have its own refugee management system.
“If Malaysia had an established system to manage refugees, UNHCR would no longer need to be here,” she said.
Wan Mimi argued that shutting down the UNHCR office would not solve the refugee issue, as those already in Malaysia would remain in the country.
She said establishing and operating a national refugee management system could cost tens of millions of ringgit annually, covering registration, documentation and staffing.
“The question is who will take over the cost and responsibility. At present, taxpayers are not funding these operations because they are supported through UN funding,” she said.
Wan Mimi added that Malaysia has had decades to develop its own refugee management framework, citing the arrival of Vietnamese refugees in the 1970s as an opportunity that could have prompted long-term reforms.
She said the discussion should not be framed as a choice between protecting Malaysians and protecting refugees.
“Malaysians have the right to safe and orderly communities, while refugees have the right to dignity and protection. These rights are not mutually exclusive,” she said.
According to UNHCR, Malaysia was hosting about 215,600 refugees and asylum seekers as of the end of February 2026. Of that total, 193,824 were from Myanmar, including 126,144 Rohingya, while the remaining 21,776 came from more than 50 other countries, including Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, Afghanistan, Syria, Sri Lanka, Palestine and Iraq. UNHCR data also shows that 64,680 of those in Malaysia are children under the age of 18.
