Rohingya Have Not Received Aid Since 1998

The Rohingya community in Malaysia faces a severe and long-standing funding crisis, with no financial support received from any agency since the establishment of the Myanmar Ethnic Rohingya Human Rights Organization Malaysia (Merhrom) in 1998. This prolonged lack of resources has critically hampered the community's welfare management, especially in vital sectors like education and healthcare.

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The center had to be closed due to parents' failure to pay minimum fees because of financial constraints and a worsening lack of funding.

Merhrom President Zafar Abdul Ghani highlighted the dire consequences, including the forced closure of a special education center for Rohingya children. Parents were unable to pay even minimal fees due to financial constraints and the deepening funding deficit. This situation underscores the precarious educational future for Rohingya children in Malaysia.

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Merhrom can only collect emergency donations among themselves on a voluntary basis if community members require immediate treatment.

The healthcare situation is equally alarming. Merhrom can only rely on emergency donations among community members for urgent medical needs. However, this is insufficient as most Rohingya refugees lack stable employment and cannot support each other. Many are forced to borrow money from family or friends to cover hospital bills, while others cannot access necessary medical care at all due to prohibitive costs.

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Many of them cannot access the medical treatment they need at all due to the excessively high hospital costs.

This funding gap also creates a ripple effect on government hospitals nationwide. Zafar Abdul Ghani frequently receives calls from government hospital doctors seeking assistance with outstanding medical bills for Rohingya patients. He clarifies Merhrom's inability to cover these costs and advises hospitals and patients to contact the UNHCR and other NGOs for aid. While some local and international NGOs like Mercy Malaysia, MRA, Tzu Chi Foundation, Doctors Without Borders (MSF), and the Red Crescent Society of Malaysia provide support, it remains insufficient for the large refugee population. Rohingya children currently rely on NGO-run schools like Sekolah Dignity, Sekolah Fugee, and Sekolah Al Ikhlas for their education.

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I often receive phone calls from doctors in government hospitals asking for the organization's help to settle the medical bills of Rohingya patients.