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MCA’s former vice president Datuk Seri Ti Lian Ker has urged Malaysians to approach the ongoing Rohingya debate with civic responsibility rather than racial blame.
The ex-deputy minister cautioned that frustration over isolated acts of public misconduct should not be weaponised against entire communities.
His remarks come amid a charged public climate following incidents in Selayang involving the improper disposal of korban sacrificial waste — lapses that quickly drew online anger, with some quarters linking the misconduct to the area’s significant Rohingya population.
Ti pushed back on that narrative.
Rather than pointing fingers at any single group, he called for accountability to be directed at enforcement failures and inadequate civic education.
He questioned whether local authorities had provided sufficient guidelines or oversight for the ritual in the first place.
No Framework, No End in Sight
Malaysia is not a signatory to the 1951 UN Refugee Convention and has no formal legal framework for refugee status.
An estimated 100,000 to 180,000 Rohingya are believed to be living in the country, many holding United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) cards that grant limited protection but no right to work or permanent residency.
As of early 2026, there are 126,144 Rohingya individuals officially registered with the UNHCR in Malaysia.
A petition calling for stricter regulation of UNHCR cardholders has garnered over 125,000 signatures in recent days, reflecting the depth of public frustration and giving that frustration a political voice.
A graphic circulating on social media — its authenticity and original date unverified — attributed a quote to an AI-generated image of a seemingly non-existent “President of Rohingya Malaysia”: “We don’t ask for much, just give us Selayang.”
The claim went viral and drew an immediate response from Nurul Zahid Hamidi, daughter of Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who invoked a Malay proverb to demand the government end the refugee influx without delay.
READ MORE: Fake ‘Give Us Selayang’ Poster Goes Viral, Even Shared By Zahid Hamidi’s Daughter
READ MORE: Malaysia’s Rohingya Question: What The Petition Says, What The Anger Is About, And What The Facts Actually Show
READ MORE: Rohingya Families Leave Malaysia For USA So Their Kids Can Study
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