Urban Studies, Urban Migration

1. 1
Urban Migration :
Kuala Lumpur
Universiti Utara Malaysia
Institute for Indonesia, Thailand & Singapore
Dr. Nor Suzylah Sohaimi
suzysuhaimi@uum.edu.my
© Nor Suzylah Sohaimi 2022

2. 2
A brief history of migration to Malaysia
• Colonial rule by the British, migrants from China and India migrated
to Malaysia to meet labor shortages in the plantation, mining and
other economic sectors 17
• Malaysia's industrial process has become highly dependent on
export-oriented and labor-intensive industries, the recruitment of
foreign workers has become an important development strategy.
• Malaysia did not sign the 1951 Refugee Convention, but Malaysia is
an option for refugees fleeing persecution in the region:
a) 1970s, Vietnamese refugees have fled the Vietnam War18
b) 1970s, Filipino refugees from Mindanao came to Malaysia and
were given residence permits
c) 1990s - Bosnians who come to Malaysia are given the option to
settle
17 Kaur, A (2008). International Migration and Governance in Malaysia: Policy and Performance
18 German Development Institute (2018). (Re)negotiating Refugee Protection in Malaysia: Implications for Future Policy in Refugee Management

3. 3
Urban Environments, Refugees And Migrants
• The Rohingya community indicates that the existence of friends and family members is an important factor in locating
and determining their area of residence.
• Bangladeshis who are looking for employment opportunities in KL, meanwhile, the location of residence is more
dependent on the workplace, where a large number of Bangladeshis are based around construction sites or
plantations.
• Refugees and migrants in KL are different from those settling elsewhere in Malaysia:
- Refugees and migrants outside KL are more likely to live separately due to lower cost of living and population
density, as well as a smaller number of refugees and migrants.
- On the other hand, as many as 2-3 refugee families reported that they shared an apartment due to high rental
rates in KL.

4. 4
“Sebab-sebab utama saya dan rakan-rakan sewilayah datang ke Malaysia
kerana Malaysia sebuah negara Islam. Hidup atau mati kami, kami mahu di
negara islam dan mahu ditanam secara Islam. Malaysia negara selamat dan
negara yang sangat baik. Disini boleh cari rezeki dan telah ramai orang
Rohingya hidup dengan selamat dan boleh makan serta bekerja. Polis
Malaysia baik dan tidak bersifat mengancam, kerajaan Malaysia lebih baik
daripada negara sendiri, begitu juga Perdana Menteri Malaysia sangat baik
kerana suka bantu masyarakat Islam yang sedang susah, bantu kami orang
Rohingya. Kami tidak ingin pergi ke negara lain untuk penempatan semula”.
Sumber: Pelarian Rohingya di Malaysia, 2015

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6. 6
01. Settlement and housing issues
02. Violation of labor rights
03. Social Wellbeing
Issues Related To Refugees And Migrants
04. Security

7. 7
Thank You