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Seputeh MP Teresa Kok has called on the Education Ministry to let refugee children enrol in government schools. She said this should be done with support from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and its education partners.
The proposal is part of the parliamentary committee’s Report on Refugee Management in Malaysia, which was debated in the Dewan Rakyat. Kok said she fully backed it and hoped the ministry would act.
Kok cited UNHCR figures showing that Malaysia has 214,079 registered refugees and asylum seekers, of whom 64,224, or about 31%, are children. About 65% of these children, or 41,745, have no access to formal education. She noted that the numbers cover only children registered with UNHCR, so the actual figure could be higher.
