Malaysia halts UNHCR refugee registrations to launch new registration system

The Malaysian government has asked the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to temporarily stop registering new refugees while it implements its own Refugee Registration Document (DPP). Officials say the DPP will allow Malaysia to better verify identities and manage refugee data. Civil‑society groups warn that the pause could jeopardise protection for people seeking asylum, especially as Malaysia prepares to repatriate thousands of Myanmar nationals despite ongoing conflict and reported human‑rights abuses in Myanmar. The issue was discussed with Joanne Chua, executive director of Asylum Access Malaysia, and Suhakam commissioner Abdul Kadir Jailani Ismail.