Malaysia’s Mamak Restaurant Owners Are So Short-Staffed, They’re Asking To Hire Rohingya Refugees

After finding little local interest through official Labour Department channels, Presma proposed hiring Rohingya refugees instead — and the idea has since gained traction at the Cabinet level, with the Home Ministry instructed to study whether eligible refugees could be allowed to work legally in Malaysia.

In Brief

Malaysia's mamak restaurant sector faces a shortage of 25,000 workers, prompting Presma to propose hiring Rohingya refugees as a last resort.
Rohingya refugees have no legal right to work in Malaysia, and experts warn a clear refugee policy framework is urgently needed.

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Malaysia’s mamak and nasi kandar restaurant sector is facing a staffing shortage of 25,000 workers — and the association representing more than 12,000 of those outlets says the usual channels have stopped working.

The shortage traces back to November 2024, when Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail announced a halt on hiring foreign workers, a freeze that was later extended into the first quarter of 2025.

With local hiring yielding little through official Labour Department channels, Presma proposed hiring Rohingya refugees — a suggestion the association had already raised in late January.

In February, Presma President Datuk Jawahir Ali Taib Khan said the lack of local interest left them with no choice but to appeal to the government for permission to recruit foreign labour, potentially including members of the stateless refugee community already living in Malaysia.

The proposal recently found a receptive audience.

Sim: Use Refugees Already Here

Speaking during a visit to Chowrasta Market in Penang, Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development Ministry (KUSKOP) minister Steven Sim — who previously served as Human Resources Minister until December last year following a Cabinet reshuffle — went further than simply acknowledging the idea.

He suggested the government study mechanisms to allow eligible refugees to enter the labour market legally, arguing it could reduce social issues while addressing manpower shortages in sectors struggling to attract local workers.

Some 3D industries are indeed facing manpower shortages. Instead of continuously bringing in foreign workers from overseas, why not consider making use of the refugee groups who are already in the country and allow them to enter the labour market?

The matter has reportedly already been raised at Cabinet level, with the Home Ministry instructed to study it further.

Sim acknowledged that any move would need to comply with existing laws and policies, but did not rule out the possibility of legislative changes.

A Community Without Legal Standing

Sim, who is also Penang DAP chairman, noted that the Rohingya issue is not new — it has been building for years.

Complaints about refugee settlements, overcrowded housing and how they are managed have come from communities across multiple states, not just one or two areas.

Because Malaysia does not officially recognise refugees, the Rohingya have never had the legal right to work here.

Most have had no choice but to find jobs under the table — in restaurants, markets and factories — just to get by.

Independent advocacy groups estimate the total population (including unregistered individuals) seeking refuge in the country to be between 180,000 and 200,000.

For now, 25,000 restaurant jobs remain unfilled — and the industry’s proposed solution remains unanswered.

A Crisis Without A Framework

The proposal sits against a backdrop of deeper institutional failure.

Malaysia has never had a formal refugee management mechanism despite the crisis stretching back to the late 1970s, leaving the government dependent on United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)-issued cards as its primary identification system — a gap that has since been exploited by syndicates producing counterfeit documents.

“We are the ones at fault; we were negligent,” said Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) international law professor Dr Salawati Mat Basir.

She argues that local authorities lack full access to UNHCR cardholder biometrics, making real-time identity verification during enforcement operations effectively impossible.

On the question of allowing refugees to work legally, Dr Salawati said the idea is not new, but warned it must come with strict controls to avoid worse downstream consequences.

What is needed, she said, is not cosmetic committees or rhetorical statements, but a clear refugee policy framework, rigid law enforcement, and coordinated resettlement efforts with UNHCR and third countries.

@romddullah The question is not why Rohingya are in Malaysia. The question is why Rohingya still cannot return home safely with rights, dignity, and citizenship. Watch until the end. #Rohingya #Malaysia #RefugeeCrisis #HumanRights #EndStatelessness ♬ original sound – Mohammed Dullah