Refugee Protection in Malaysia: A Historical and International Law Perspective within the ASEAN Context

Athirah Mohd Anuar, Nadhilah A.Kadir

Abstract


ABSTRACT
People flee their home countries of origin for a multitude of reasons including fear of persecution, escape from
armed conflict and avoiding ethnic cleansing. The factors precipitating large-scale human migration and
instances of these exodus can be traced back over several centuries. Regrettably, even in the present era, these
occurrences of forced mass migration still persist. This study seeks to examine the historical trajectory of refugee
protection in Malaysia, with a specific focus on the legal framework governing the treatment towards refugees
within Malaysia’s borders. This is a qualitative legal study harnessing data from online resources including
government websites, organizational repositories, case law databases, and academic journals. This study finds
that within the ASEAN context, Malaysia and Myanmar have the lowest number of ratified human rights
conventions among member states. Further, Malaysia’s adherence to international obligations for refugee
protection is contingent upon the enactment of domestic legislation giving effect to its corresponding international
instrument. Malaysia’s legal system does not distinguish between illegal immigrants, asylum-seekers or refugees,
and case-law evidences differential judgements meted out for the same categories of persons, namely asylum
seekers, in Malaysia. The study’s findings will provide valuable insights on the necessity of inter-state cooperation
within the ASEAN region, akin to the 1989 Comprehensive Plan of Action for Indo-Chinese Refugees, in
addressing the refugee crisis in Malaysia.
Keywords: customary international law, international law, refugee, humanitarian grounds, mass migration


Full Text:

PDF

References


REFERENCES

AirAsia Bhd v Rafizah Shima bt Mohamed

Aris [2015] 2 CLJ 510 (AirAsia)

Amnesty International (2010), Abused and

Abandoned: Refugees Denied Rights in

Malaysia, 16 June 2010, ASA

/010/2010, available at:

https://www.refworld.org/docid/4c19d1

aa2.html [29 August 2023]

Asamoah, O. Y. 1966. The Legal

Significance of the Declarations of the

General Assembly of the United Nations.

Springer eBooks.

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-

-2

Bato Bagi & Ors v Kerajaan Negeri

Sarawak & another appeal [2011] 6

MLJ 297 (Bato Bagi)

Breitenmoser, S., & Wildhaber, L. 1988.

The Relationship between Customary

International Law and Municipal Law in

Western European Countries. Zeitschrift

Für Ausländisches Öffentliches Recht

Und Völkerrecht, Bd. 48. S.

https://edoc.unibas.ch/4437/

Che-Meh N, Malaysian Rep. on Agenda

Item 79: Report of the International Law

Commission on the Work of its 63rd and

th Session athe Sixth Committee of

the 67th Session of the United Nations

General Assembly, New York, 1 November 2012,

https://www.un.int/malaysia/sites/www.

un.int/files/Malaysia/67th_session/2012

-11-01_ilc_report.pdf [29 August 2023]

Colombian-Peruvian asylum case,

Judgment of November 20th, 1950

(Colombia v. Peru)

Continental Shelf (Libyan Arab

Jarnahiriya/Malta), Judgment, I. C.J.

Reports 1985, p. 13. pp. 29–30, § 27

Crawford, J. 2012. Brownlie’s Principles of

Public International Law.

https://doi.org/10.1093/he/9780199699

001.0001

Department Circular No. 058 - Establishing

the Refugees and Stateless Status

Determination Procedure [Philippines],

October 2012, available at:

https://www.refworld.org/docid/508693

e2.html , [17 November 2023]

Davies, M. 2013. The ASEAN Synthesis:

Human Rights, Non-Intervention, and

the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration.

Georgetown Journal of International

Affairs, 51–58.

https://digitalcollections.anu.edu.au/han

dle/1885/25155

Hamid AG & Khin MS. 2006. ‘Judicial

Application of International Law in

Malaysia: An Analysis’,

http://www.malaysianbar.org.my/intern

ational_law/judicial_application_of_int

ernational_law_in_malaysia_an_analysi

s.html#1 (citing Blackstone W,

Commentaries on the Law of England,

Vol IV, Chapt. V, (1765-1769) at p. 55)

August 2023].

Jaafar US, Malaysian Rep. on Agenda Item

: Report of the International Law

commission on the Work of its 59th

Session at the Sixth Committee of the

nd Session of the United Nations

General Assembly, New York, 25

October 2007,

https://www.un.int/malaysia/sites/www.

un.int/files/Malaysia/62nd_Session/62u

nga024.pdf [29 August 2023]

Mann, I. 2016. Humanity at Sea: Maritime

Migration and the Foundations of

International Law. Cambridge Studies

in International and Comparative Law.

Cambridge: Cambridge University

Press.

doi:10.1017/CBO9781316563106

Kneebone, S. 2014. The Bali Process and

Global Refugee Policy in the Asia-

Pacific Region. Journal of Refugee

Studies, 27(4), 596–618.

https://doi.org/10.1093/jrs/feu015

Kneebone, S. (2016). Comparative

Regional Protection Frameworks for

Refugees: Norms and Norm

Entrepreneurs. The International

Journal of Human Rights, 20(2), 153–

https://doi.org/10.1080/13642987.2016.

Kraft Foods Schweiz Holding GmbH v

Pendaftar Cap Dagangan [2016] 11

MLJ 702 (Kraft Foods Schweiz Holding)

Kunz, J. L. 1953. The Nature of Customary

International Law. American Journal of

International Law, 47(4), 662–669.

https://doi.org/10.2307/2194914

Letter from the Coordination Committee of

the Special Procedures of the Human

Rights Council on the draft ASEAN

Human Rights Declaration, UNOHCHR

(“Coordination Committee Letter”),

http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodi

es/SP/LetterASEAN_Nov2012.doc [29

August 2023]

Lewis, C. 2017. UNHCR’s Contribution to

the Development of International

Refugee Law: Its Foundations and

Evolution. Routledge eBooks (pp. 121–

. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315092478

-5

Merdeka University Berhad v Government

of Malaysia [1981] 2 MLJ 356 (Merdeka

University)

Mohamad Ezam Mohd Noor v Ketua Polis

Negara & Other Appeals [2004] 4 CLJ

(Mohamad Ezam)

Olofsen v Government of Malaysia [1966]

MLJ 300

Prime Minister Najib Razak’s speech given

at the 70th Session of the United Nations

General Assembly in New York in 2015,

speech obtained from the Ministry of

Foreign Affairs

http://www.kln.gov.my/web/can_ottawa

/e2015/-

/asset_publisher/ME2g/blog/primeminister-

calls-for-new-solutions-toaddress-

extremism-and-refugeecrisis?

redirect=%2Fweb%2Fcan_ottaw

a%2Fe2015 [29 August 2023]

Public Prosecutor v Narongne Sookpavit &

Ors [1987] 2 MLJ 100 (Narongne

Sookpavit)

Public Prosecutor v Oie Hee Koi &

Associated Appeals, [1968] 1 MLJ 148,

(Oie Hee Koi).

Rodolfo CS, East Asia Forum

http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2013/02/

/aseans-declaration-advances-humanrights-

in-asia/ [29 August 2023]

Schwebel, Stephen M., & American

Society of International Law. 1971. The

Effectiveness of International

Decisions ; Papers of a Conference of

the American Society of International

Law and the Proceedings of the

Conference. Ed. Stephen M. Schwebel.

Leyden : Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.: Sijthoff;

Oceana Publications

Shum K. 2011. A New Comprehensive

Plan of Action: Addressing the Refugee

Protection Gap in Southeast Asia

through Local and Regional Integration,

Oxford Monitor of Forced Migration

Vol. 1, Number 1, 60–77

Stanislaus Krofan & Anor v Public

Prosecutor [1967] 1 MLJ 133

(Stanislaus Krofan)

Subramaniam, Y. 2008. The United

Nations Declaration on the Rights of

Indigenous Peoples: Additional

Enforceable Land Rights for the Orang

Asli? 2 MLJ lxxv, Malayan Law Journal

Articles, (citing Highet, K. 1994.

Oppenheim’s International Law, Vol. I,

Peace (2 vols.) (9th Ed.). Ed. Sir Robert

Jennings and Sir Arthur Watts. Burnt

Mill: Longman, 1992. Pp. lxxxvi, 1133.

Indexes. American Journal of

International Law, 88(2), 383–386.

https://doi.org/10.2307/2204109)

Subramaniyam Subakaran v PP [2007] 1

CLJ 470 (Subramaniyam)

The ASEAN Human Rights Declaration: A

Legal Analysis

http://www.americanbar.org/content/da

m/aba/directories/roli/asean/aseanhuman-

rights-declaration-legalanalysis-

authcheckdam.pdf [29

August 2023]

The Asian-African Legal Consultative

Organization (AALCO), Bangkok

Principles on the Status and Treatment

of Refugees ("Bangkok Principles"), 31

December 1966

http://www.refworld.org/docid/3de5f2d

html [29 August 2023]

The Guardian (2015),

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20

/may/12/malaysia-migrants-boatsrohingya-

bangladesh-myanmar-burma

August 2023].

Tun Naing Oo v Public Prosecutor [2009]

MLJ 680 (Tun Naing Oo)

UN High Commissioner for Refugees

(UNHCR), Good Practices Paper –

Action 6: Establishing Statelessness

Determination Procedures to Protect

Stateless Persons, 11 July 2016,

available at:

https://www.refworld.org/docid/57836c

ff4.html [17 November 2023]

UNHCR

http://reporting.unhcr.org/sites/default/f

iles/UNHCR%20Indonesia%20Factshe

et%20-%20AUG2015.pdf [29 August

UNHCR

http://www.unhcr.org/uk/protection/stat

elessness/4d651eeb6/world-mapparties-

-convention-relating-statusstateless-

persons-1961.html [29 August

UNHCR Universal Periodic Review: Lao

People's Democratic Republic

http://www.refworld.org/country,,UNH

CR,,LAO,,54c0d9414,0.html [29

August 2023]

UNHCR Universal Periodic Review:

Socialist Republic of Viet Nam

http://www.refworld.org/country,,UNH

CR,,VNM,,51c946514,0.html [29

August 2023]

Village Holdings Sdn Bhd v Her Majesty

the Queen in Right of Canada [1988] 2

MLJ 656 (Village Holdings)


Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


 

 

 

e-ISSN : 2550-1704