Malaysia's civil society organisations have called for a comprehensive and balanced approach to managing refugee issues, adopting 10 resolutions at a major conference held in conjunction with World Refugee Day 2026. The Kuala Lumpur: Solidarity with Refugees Conference, convened at the International Institute of Advanced Islamic Studies (IAIS) Malaysia, brought together representatives from non-governmental organisations, academic institutions, humanitarian bodies, international organisations and community leaders to address what organisers view as growing misconceptions and xenophobic sentiment toward displaced populations in the country.

The resolutions emerged from discussions centred on balancing national security interests with Malaysia's humanitarian obligations, reflecting concerns that unaddressed refugee-related challenges could fuel broader social divisions. Ahmad Fahmi Mohd Samsudin, president of Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (ABIM), emphasised that the conference sought to reframe refugee discourse away from polarised narratives toward evidence-based policymaking. The participants, drawn from organisations working directly with vulnerable populations, aim to present their findings to Members of Parliament and relevant government agencies including the Home Ministry and National Security Council (MKN) to inform more effective refugee management strategies.

While Malaysia has not ratified the 1951 Refugee Convention, the country has managed substantial displaced populations over decades, hosting refugees from Vietnam, Syria, Bosnia and Palestine. This experience, according to conference organisers, positions Malaysia to develop sophisticated approaches that neither dismiss legitimate public concerns about security and social cohesion nor abandon humanitarian responsibilities. Ahmad Fahmi articulated the underlying tension: Malaysia must acknowledge real challenges facing communities while simultaneously preventing anti-refugee sentiment from becoming a gateway to broader discrimination against other vulnerable groups within society.

Among the key resolutions was a comprehensive rejection of hatred, discrimination and dehumanisation targeting refugees, asylum seekers and marginalised populations, coupled with recognition that public anxieties around security, law enforcement and community harmony deserve serious, fact-based engagement rather than dismissal. This dual approach reflects the conference's assessment that previous attempts to address refugee issues have often failed because they either ignored legitimate concerns or allowed those concerns to be weaponised through misinformation. The organisers argue that building public consensus requires acknowledging both the vulnerability of displaced persons and the genuine pressures on local communities regarding housing, employment and social services.

Conference participants specifically advocated for strengthening Malaysia's capacity to collect, register and document refugee populations through collaboration with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and other international bodies. Better data management was presented as foundational to developing orderly, transparent systems that can demonstrate whether concerns about refugee numbers or demographic impacts are proportionate to reality. This emphasis on documentation reflects international best practice, where countries have found that systematic registration actually reduces misinformation by establishing clear baselines against which claims can be verified.

The resolutions also prioritised public education and media literacy as essential countermeasures to xenophobic narratives, recognising that anti-refugee sentiment often thrives in information vacuums. Conference delegates called for expanded efforts to combat hate speech and disinformation on social media platforms, where emotionally resonant falsehoods frequently circulate unchecked. For Malaysia specifically, where social media usage is exceptionally high and political polarisation has demonstrated the power of coordinated online campaigns, this emphasis reflects hard-won lessons about how quickly manufactured grievances can mobilise large populations.

Additionally, the conference advocated for establishing formal mechanisms to support civil society organisations, activists and humanitarian workers facing online attacks, slander and coordinated disinformation campaigns. This resolution acknowledges that those advocating for refugee protections face significant personal and professional risks in contexts where refugee issues have become politically charged. By calling for institutional support structures, the conference effectively argues that humanitarian engagement should not require individual advocates to absorb the costs of harassment and reputation attacks.

The framing of these resolutions reveals a sophisticated understanding of Malaysia's particular demographic and political context. Unlike some Southeast Asian nations with minimal refugee populations, Malaysia hosts substantial numbers of displaced persons whose presence intersects with questions of citizenship, Islam, ethnicity and national identity. The conference's emphasis on preventing anti-refugee sentiment from metastasising into broader discrimination suggests organisers fear that refugee issues could become vectors for other social divisions. This concern reflects Malaysia's history as a multiethnic, multireligious nation where identity-based tensions have periodically erupted into conflict.

Ahmad Fahmi's characterisation of the conference as seeking to move refugee discourse toward the "middle ground" indicates recognition that current polarisation serves no stakeholder well. Neither refugee advocates who dismiss security concerns nor security hawks who dismiss humanitarian obligations can advance practical solutions that allow Malaysia to fulfil both responsibilities simultaneously. By bringing together government-adjacent bodies, civil society organisations and international agencies, the conference attempted to model dialogue across these divides and demonstrate that reasonable people of goodwill can identify shared interests in orderly, humane and secure refugee management.

The joint organisation of the conference by Global Peace Mission (GPM) Malaysia, ABIM and IAIS Malaysia reflects the role of Islamic civil society institutions in shaping refugee discourse in Malaysia. As majority-Muslim nation and a destination for significant numbers of Muslim refugees, Malaysia's approach to displacement has often been framed through Islamic humanitarian obligations rather than secular international law. By situating this conference within explicitly Islamic institutional frameworks, organisers emphasised that refugee protection has deep roots in Islamic teaching, potentially broadening its appeal beyond secular NGO circles.

The conference's timing alongside World Refugee Day 2026 provided a platform for launching these resolutions with maximum visibility and international recognition. World Refugee Day observances have become increasingly significant in Southeast Asia as refugee populations have grown and regional governments have struggled with management challenges. Malaysia's decision to participate prominently through this major conference signals that refugee issues remain salient in national discourse despite political sensitivities.

Moving forward, the effectiveness of these resolutions will depend on government receptivity to collaborative approaches. The commitment by ABIM and other organisers to pursue follow-up discussions with the Home Ministry and MKN suggests they anticipate productive engagement, though experience shows that refugee policymaking often proceeds slowly and remains subject to shifting political priorities. Nevertheless, by consolidating civil society perspectives into concrete resolutions grounded in Malaysia's historical experience and humanitarian obligations, the conference has created a reference document that advocates can cite in future policy discussions.