Photo credit: The Star
A total of 219,472 refugees and asylum seekers were registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) office in Malaysia as of April.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmed Zahiri Hamidi said the total comprised 152,979 recognized refugees and 66,493 asylum seekers froom about 60 countries, including Myanmar, Syria, Pakistan, Yemen and Afghanistan.
However, he said the data was compiled entirely by the UNHCR office without the involvement of any government ministry, department or agency.
“The data shared by UNHCR may not reflect the actual number or situation, as the process of granting and recording refugee and asylum-seeker status is carried out entirely by the UNHCR office in Kuala Lumpur,” he said in a written parliamentary reply dated july 13.
Zahd, who is also Rural and Regional Development Minister, said those registered included 100,184 adult men, 50,474 adult women, 35,345 boys and 33,469 girls.
