MSF reveals Rohingya refugees endure trafficking, torture and psychological trauma on journeys to Malaysia, with many forced against their will
PETALING JAYA: The boat tragedy off Langkawi has exposed what aid workers call an entrenched trafficking corridor into Malaysia, where the Rohingya, fleeing war and persecution, often arrive traumatised, untreated and terrified of arrest despite seeking safety.
Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders or MSF) head of mission Aymen Abdullah said Rohingya refugees embark on the journeys “out of desperation”, often lured or forced by traffickers promising safe passage.
“They are fleeing persecution and containment in Myanmar and Bangladesh. They come here hoping for safety but instead find themselves living at the margins – no proper access to care, no protection and in constant fear of being arrested,” he told theSun.
“Most of our patients are from Penang and Kedah, with a smaller number from Perak. When they were forced to be trafficked, it wasn’t only by boat. It’s also by land. They go across forests and it’s very tough.”
Aymen said survivors’ accounts contradict persistent claims that Rohingya willingly choose Malaysia.
“One patient said, ‘I never wanted to come here. I was brought here by traffickers’.
“Others say, ‘If it were safe to go back to Myanmar, I would like to go home’. So the narrative that people come here just to come here isn’t 100% precise.”
He said the Rohingya remain one of the world’s largest stateless groups, intensifying their vulnerability.
“Despite everything, many still consider Myanmar home. The public needs to understand why they embark on such journeys.”
MSF mental health supervisor and clinical psychologist Chew Ching Hoay said many patients arrive in critical physical and psychological condition.
“We see people extremely malnourished after months in the jungle. Some are so weak they must be carried. Their skin is damaged with infected wounds and stiff joints.
“During their journey some were believed to have been electrocuted and kept in holes filled with human waste. Some claimed to have witnessed pregnant women being raped to death. These are unimaginable experiences. They are no longer connected to reality and need immediate psychiatric stabilisation.
“But the suffering doesn’t end in the aftermath. They fear arrest because they have no documents, face language barriers and the cost of healthcare is prohibitive.”
MSF’s Penang-based fixed clinic and mobile teams treat around 12,000 patients a year, mostly Rohingya from Penang and Kedah.
Chew said many are turned away from hospitals for lacking documents while those admitted face foreigner-rate charges – with childbirth costing between RM5,000 and RM8,000.
