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PETALING JAYA: Malaysia has urged the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to expedite the resettlement of refugees and asylum seekers residing in the nation.

Speaking at the United Nations Human Rights Council’s periodic review of Malaysia’s human rights record, a Wisma Putra official said Malaysia currently has 185,666 registered refugees and asylum seekers.

“We were made to understand that this is the highest number in Southeast Asia,” foreign ministry deputy secretary-general (multilateral affairs) Bala Chandran Tharman told the council in Geneva, Switzerland, tonight.

“Despite numerous constraints, including stretched resources, limited capacity, and strain on our social infrastructure, including health services, Malaysia continues to exert efforts to manage the influx of refugees and asylum seekers.

“And we continue to provide healthcare services, access to education, and employment opportunities,” he said.

Bala said the continuous entry of refugees into Malaysia has posed additional challenges for the federal government, from up to RM5 million in unsettled medical bills to strains on social services.

He urged members of the council as well as the UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to expedite the resettlement of refugees and asylum seekers.

“Resettlement must remain a priority and this undertaking shall serve as the cornerstone of cooperation between Malaysia and the human rights community. And that is on the principle of burden and responsibility sharing.

“We will soon approach member states, the UNHCR and the IOM with specific suggestions and requests for resettlement of refugees to third countries,” he said.

Malaysia is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention, which safeguards the rights and protection of those granted asylum by the country sheltering them.

Putrajaya considers refugees and asylum seekers to be undocumented, or “illegal” migrants under the 1959/1963 Immigration Act.

In November, the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) called for the establishment of a comprehensive and robust framework to address the refugee situation in Malaysia.

Suhakam said addressing a humanitarian issue and ensuring the wellbeing of refugees on Malaysian soil is a collective responsibility, irrespective of the country’s position on the Refugee Convention.