Refugees, online scams among Dewan Rakyat focus next week

KUALA LUMPUR: Rohingya refugees, cybercrime, haze and public health, including youth mental health, are among the issues expected to be raised in the Dewan Rakyat next week.

According to the Order Paper published on Parliament's official website, Lim Lip Eng (PH-Kepong) will ask the Home Ministry for the latest number of Rohingya refugees in Malaysia and how many were repatriated to Myanmar this year.

He also wants the government to explain how the Rohingya refugees entered Malaysia and which agencies are responsible for the lapses that allowed their entry.

Datuk Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik (PH-Balik Pulau) will ask the home minister to outline the government's long-term mechanisms for managing Rohingya refugees still in Malaysia following the suspension of third-country resettlement efforts.

This includes resettlement targets and cooperation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and third countries.

On the same issue, Azahari Hasan (PN-Padang Rengas) will ask the home minister about the Home Ministry's monitoring and enforcement mechanisms for the Rohingya community in Malaysia to ensure refugee status is not misused to commit crimes or engage in activities that threaten public safety.

Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob (BN-Bera) will seek details on the government's long-term strategy for managing refugees and asylum seekers, as well as the extent to which the Refugee Registration Document (DPP) can ensure their identities are verified and their status, security and whereabouts in the country are monitored.

The Home Ministry will also be asked by Rushdan Rusmi (PN-Padang Besar) to provide an update on the comprehensive digital mapping of the Malaysia-Thailand border in Perlis, including the identification of illegal crossing routes, high-risk areas, security gaps and locations requiring immediate security intervention.

He also wants to know whether the government has an integrated geospatial database that can be accessed under controlled conditions.

Meanwhile, Dr Halimah Ali (PN-Kapar) will ask the home minister about measures to strengthen the police force in terms of the number and expertise of investigators, technology, digital forensics, as well as the powers and resources needed to tackle increasingly complex crimes.

These include cybercrime, financial fraud, organised crime and cases requiring digital forensic evidence.

Muhammad Fawwaz Mohamad Jan (PN-Permatang Pauh) will seek an explanation from the home minister on the causes of online scam losses reaching RM3.8 billion, the low rate of fund recovery for victims and efforts to rescue Malaysians who have fallen victim to fake job offers overseas.

Mohd Hasnizan Harun (PN-Hulu Selangor) will also ask the home minister for the number of online scam cases and losses recorded so far in 2026.

He also wants the government to outline the Home Ministry's plans to introduce liability principles that would hold banks, telecommunications companies and digital platforms accountable when weaknesses in their systems contribute to scams.

The Health Ministry will also come under scrutiny during this week's Dewan Rakyat sitting, with several questions on the country's public health challenges expected to be raised.

Datuk Dr Zulkafperi Hanapi (PN-Tanjong Karang) will ask the health minister when the government plans to introduce a sustainable national health financing framework to reduce the public healthcare system's reliance on annual allocations and address rising treatment costs.