Migrant rights activist Adrian Pereira and Melaka assemblyman Noor Helmy Abdul Halem told FMT they believed the refugees would not resort to running illegal businesses if they were allowed to seek gainful employment.
As refugees, the Rohingya are not allowed to work, have no access to government services such as healthcare and education, and cannot own property or open bank accounts.
Pereira said the antagonism against the Rohingya stemmed from the notion that they were economically displacing Malaysians and was misguided.
“They’re already here, setting up their businesses to survive,” he said. “Malaysians should be more empathetic as the Rohingya are not eroding into their economic pie.
“To survive, this community has had to pick up entrepreneurship very fast. That has nothing to do with Malaysians as their products and services cater to the needs of their own community.
“In actuality, there are enough resources for everyone to share.”
Noor Helmy, an Umno member and the assemblyman for Duyong, said the Rohingya needed to work, “but by our own rules”.
“Existing laws do not allow them to work or run businesses, but if they can’t do either, how are they supposed to survive?” he said.
He said the Rohingya should be required to register with Malaysian authorities and not solely with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
“This is so we have their records and will be able not only to take action but legally control them. Currently, we don’t even know if they swap their refugee cards among themselves because we lack the data.”
Noor Helmy and Pereira were commenting on videos on social media showing an upward trend in locals confronting the Rohingya, often in a hostile manner.
Recently, Pereira chastised Klang MP V Ganabatirau, calling him racist and xenophobic for urging the home ministry to take action against Rohingya traders operating stalls at the Meru market in Klang.
Ganabatirau, a member of DAP, rejected the accusation, saying he was only relating the concerns of his constituents when he raised the matter in the Dewan Rakyat.
Ganabatirau’s predecessor, Charles Santiago, said there should be some space for Rohingya to earn their living although priority should be given to Malaysians.
“They have no support when they come to Malaysia,” he said. “They have left everything behind. It’s really a question of understanding that they’re refugees and therefore their livelihoods should not be taken away from them.”