by Hafizur Rahman
Kuala Lumpur | July 10, 2026
Malaysia has officially recognized 78 Rohingya refugees under its new Refugee Registration Document (DPP) programme, with 25 of them selected to participate in a pilot employment initiative.
The figures were disclosed by Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail in a written parliamentary reply.
According to the government, 128 Rohingya from Myanmar had been transferred to the Special Detention Centre for Refugees and Asylum Seekers (PPKPPS) in Bidor, Perak, by June 2026. The group consisted of 127 men and one woman.
Following refugee status determination procedures, 78 individuals—77 men and one woman—were formally recognized as refugees under the DPP programme. Malaysian authorities said they will be released after completing the required administrative procedures.
The DPP programme, launched on January 1, 2026, establishes a government-managed system for registering people seeking temporary protection in Malaysia. Applicants must undergo biometric registration, security screening, and interviews before refugee status is determined.
Recognized refugees receive a DPP card, which serves as an official identity document allowing them to remain temporarily in Peninsular Malaysia.
The government said 25 of the recognized Rohingya refugees have also been identified as eligible to work under a pilot employment programme as Malaysia explores legal employment opportunities for recognized refugees.
During the programme’s first phase, authorities registered 4,010 detainees, the vast majority of whom were Rohingya from Myanmar, along with one person from Sudan and one from Syria. Officials said transfers to the Bidor detention centre are being carried out in stages because the facility has a capacity of 400 people.
The second phase of the programme is expected to begin in the second half of 2026. It will include people holding UNHCR documents as well as individuals claiming refugee status outside detention centres. Registration will take place at designated refugee status determination centres, which the government says will be announced later.
Malaysia aims to complete the nationwide DPP registration process by December 31, 2029. According to the government, the registration and refugee status determination process is administered by the Immigration Department of Malaysia.
