CNI News
17 Sept 2022
The Malaysia government has failed to protect the rights of MyRC card holders from Myanmar and other countries, Myanmar organizations in Malaysia told the CNI.
The MyRC is a special registration card for refugees in Malaysia and the project was officially launched by the previous Malaysian government. However, MyRC card holders were not legally recognized as refugees on the ground, Vice Chairman Ko Aung Min Thu of the ARRC told the CNI.
He said, “If a MyRC card holder is detained by the police, he is still an illegal migrant and will be charged. It is not legally recognized. The project was launched by the previous government just before the election. So, the new government does not want to recognize it. If a MyRC card holder is detained either by the police or the immigration, the card holder will not get any protection. So, we have to ask for help from the UN and local NGOs for them. Although the previous said the cards were legally recognized, it is not true on the ground.”
Although it was said that holders of both the MyRC card and the UN card would be eligible for health and education assistance from the government and would be allowed to work in factories officially, not everyone gets the opportunities.
Refugee cards issued by the UNHCR. (UNHCR).
When a MyRC card holder is detained by authorities, he or she will be sentenced in accordance with relevant laws but UN card holders are released even if they are detained.
Refugees in Malaysia should have registration cards that can guarantee their rights, Chief Patron Sayadaw U Ottara of the CAR told the CNI.
He said, “The best way for refugees is to hold refugee cards issued by refugee communities. If they hold such cards, we can ask for help from the UNHCR, an internationally recognized organization. It can be said that MyRC cards are not refugee cards. So, we have never heard that MyRC card holders received assistance at police stations, healthcare centres and in labour disputes.”
Recently, only a few refugees applied for MyRC cards and organizations helping refugees have stopped urging refugees to apply for the cards.
Ko Aung Min Thu of the ARRC said, “Previously, we urged our community card holders to apply for MyRC cards. When they were detained, the cards could not provide any protection. So, we stopped recommending the cards and only a few people applied for them at present. Some MyRC card holders renew their cards because their employers asked them to do so. We do not encourage refugees to apply for the new cards because authorities do not recognize them legally.”
Currently, there are about 10,000 MyRC card holders from Myanmar. Applicants for MyRC cards are required to submit their cards issued by relevant ethnic communities.
