Malaysia compiling nationwide refugee data under new registration programme, says Zahid

File picture of Rohingya refugees at the Kuala Lumpur Contingent Police Headquarters (IPK) on July 28, 2026, after being moved from outside the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) office in Jalan Bukit Petaling. — Bernama pic

First Published: Tuesday, 27 Oct 2026 8:37 AM MYT

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 27 — The government is compiling data on refugee communities nationwide through the Refugee Registration Document (DPP) programme under National Security Council (MKN) Directive No. 23, says Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

He said the programme, currently in its first phase, focuses on individuals held at Immigration Detention Depots (DTI).

The initiative is expected to progress soon to its second phase, focusing on United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) cardholders residing outside the depots, he added.

“The data collection aims to ensure the government can manage, coordinate, and monitor the temporary presence of these individuals in the country before they are resettled in a third country or repatriated to their country of origin,” he said in a written reply published on the Parliament website last night. 

Ahmad Zahid, who is also Rural and Regional Development Minister, was replying to a question from Mohd Sany Hamzan (PH-Hulu Langat) on the government’s stance regarding foreign organisations operating in Malaysia, such as UNHCR, amid claims that the agency has not provided expected cooperation and refused to share data on refugees.

Ahmad Zahid said international organisations remain essential to Malaysia as platforms for cooperation and expertise sharing to tackle cross-border issues that cannot be handled unilaterally, while building national capacity and easing the burden of managing humanitarian challenges.

He noted that this position is reflected in Malaysia’s experience in handling Vietnamese refugees on Pulau Bidong from the late 1970s to the 1990s, when Malaysia collaborated with UNHCR and the international community to manage refugee influxes, provide temporary shelter, and secure third-country resettlement.

“At present, the government also requires UNHCR to facilitate third-country resettlement, as recipient nations rely on the UNHCR card to verify and authenticate refugees,” he said. — Bernama