19/07/2025
Request for Release and Humanitarian Resettlement of Detained Rohingya Youth from Langkawi Island
To:
YAB Dato’ Anwar Ibrahim Anwar Ibrahim
Prime Minister of Malaysia
Prime Minister’s Office
Putrajaya, Malaysia
Respected Prime Minister,
We, a group of Rohingya refugee parents living in the refugee camps of Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, humbly appeal to your esteemed government for the release and humanitarian resettlement of our sons who are currently detained in Malaysian jails. These young men arrived on Langkawi Island in 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, and have remained in detention ever since.
As violence and persecution escalated in our homeland in 2017 and 2019, many of us fled to Bangladesh seeking refuge. The dire living conditions and lack of opportunities in the camps later forced some of our sons to risk dangerous journeys in search of safety and livelihood. Many of them were forcibly taken by human traffickers and brought toward Malaysia—without our knowledge or their full understanding of the danger.
These youths were not criminals, but victims—of trafficking, displacement, and statelessness. They were arrested upon arrival and have now been jailed for more than five years under immigration laws. At the time of arrest, many were minors or just entering adulthood. Their only “offense” was being Rohingya and seeking a chance at survival in a world that has too often turned its back on them.
Over the years in detention, many of these young men have become physically and mentally ill, with some suffering from serious health conditions. They are in a fragile state, both emotionally and medically. Some have lost their parents or family members during this time, without the chance to say goodbye or even receive the news properly. Their grief is deep, and some are suffering from serious depression and sorrow in silence, far from their families and homeland.
There are some detainees who are female and are aged enough to get married. But due detention, their life is ruining. As well as, they are not kept in one single place but they are relocated from one jail to another in every 3 to 4 months.
We recognize and respect Malaysia’s right to enforce its laws, but we appeal to your sense of justice, compassion, and Islamic solidarity. Therefore, we humbly request:
1. Immediate release of the detained Rohingya youth from jail.
2. Their handover to UNHCR or relevant humanitarian agencies for protection and resettlement to a third country.
3. Recognition of their status as victims of human trafficking, not as criminals.
4. Access to humanitarian organizations to monitor and support the detainees’ health and wellbeing.
5. Special attention to their worsening mental and physical health, and the trauma of losing loved ones while in detention.
We believe in the Malaysian government’s moral leadership and deep commitment to humanitarian principles. Your voice, YAB Dato’ Seri, has always supported the oppressed. We pray that you will extend that same compassion to our detained sons.
May Allah SWT bless you with continued wisdom, strength, and reward in all your efforts to uphold justice.
We have attached the pictures of victims below!
in
Parents
