Malaysia MP urges government to allow refugee children into public schools

Seputeh MP Teresa Kok has called on Malaysia’s Ministry of Education to allow refugee children to enroll in government schools. The proposal was part of a parliamentary committee’s Report on Refugee Management in Malaysia, which was recently debated in the Dewan Rakyat.

Citing UNHCR data, Kok noted that there are 214,079 registered refugees and asylum seekers in Malaysia, of whom approximately 64,224 are children. Currently, about 65% of these registered children—roughly 41,745 individuals—lack access to formal education. Kok warned that the actual number of uneducated refugee children could be significantly higher, as the figures only account for those registered with the UNHCR.

Kok emphasized that without national refugee legislation, these children cannot access public education or legal employment, leaving them reliant on alternative learning centres. She also urged the government to review registration requirements for these centres and suggested that eligible refugees could be utilized as a labor source in sectors facing worker shortages, such as manufacturing and plantations.