Representatives from civil society, academic institutions, humanitarian groups and international organisations gathered at the International Institute of Advanced Islamic Studies (IAIS) Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur on June 20 to shape a new policy framework for refugee management in the country. The Kuala Lumpur: Solidarity with Refugees Conference, jointly organised by Global Peace Mission (GPM) Malaysia, Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (ABIM) and IAIS Malaysia, produced 10 resolutions intended to guide future government action on one of Southeast Asia's most contentious humanitarian issues.

The cornerstone of the conference outcomes is an appeal to the Malaysian government to develop a comprehensive, integrated strategy that addresses refugee-related challenges without sacrificing national security or community stability. Significantly, the resolutions acknowledge that public anxieties about refugee populations are legitimate concerns requiring factual, transparent responses rather than dismissal. This nuanced framing represents an attempt to move refugee discourse away from polarised debates that have increasingly characterised discussion in the region, where rising anti-refugee sentiment coexists with humanitarian imperatives.

Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia president Ahmad Fahmi Mohd Samsudin explained that the resolutions emerge directly from the practical knowledge of non-governmental organisations actively supporting refugee communities on the ground. By channelling the expertise of NGOs working with vulnerable populations, the conference participants sought to ensure that policy recommendations reflect lived reality rather than theoretical frameworks disconnected from implementation challenges. The gathering reflects growing recognition that sustainable refugee policy requires input from organisations that understand both the needs of displaced persons and the concerns of host communities.

A critical component of the conference outcomes involves strengthening coordination between the government, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and relevant stakeholders to enhance refugee data collection, registration and documentation systems. Malaysia has managed successive refugee waves from Vietnam, Syria, Bosnia and Palestine without being a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention, accumulating decades of institutional experience that remains underutilised in contemporary policy development. The resolutions explicitly recognise this historical capacity and propose leveraging it for more orderly, transparent and effective management systems.

The conference participants also flagged the critical challenge of combating misinformation and xenophobic narratives in digital spaces. As social media increasingly shapes public opinion on refugee issues across Southeast Asia, the resolutions call for robust media literacy initiatives and mechanisms to support NGOs and humanitarian organisations facing coordinated disinformation campaigns and hate speech online. This reflects awareness that anti-refugee sentiment, if unchecked, risks spreading beyond the refugee question to undermine social cohesion more broadly, potentially affecting other marginalised communities.

Ahmad Fahmi articulated a strategic concern underpinning the conference: the distinction between addressing genuine public anxieties about security and community welfare versus allowing misconceptions to harden into sustained prejudice. Rather than dismissing concerns about law enforcement or social well-being as inherently xenophobic, the resolutions propose that Malaysian policymakers address these dimensions with factual data and transparent governance structures. This approach potentially offers a pathway through the divisive refugee debates that have characterised regional discourse in recent years.

The resolutions also explicitly reject all forms of hate, discrimination and dehumanisation directed at refugees, asylum seekers and vulnerable groups, establishing a clear ethical boundary while simultaneously acknowledging that public concerns deserve evidence-based attention. This dual commitment—to both refugee dignity and community engagement—distinguishes the conference outcomes from advocacy approaches that dismiss host community perspectives. For a multiethnic, multifaith country like Malaysia managing complex social cohesion challenges, this balanced framework carries particular significance.

ABIM intends to present the resolutions and accompanying declaration to Members of Parliament and relevant government stakeholders, with planned follow-up discussions involving the Home Ministry and the National Security Council (MKN). This institutional engagement strategy recognises that conference resolutions lack implementation capacity without formal government consideration and policy translation. The emphasis on parliamentary outreach suggests organisers recognise that sustainable refugee policy in Malaysia requires legislative frameworks and executive commitment rather than civil society advocacy alone.

The conference timing, coinciding with World Refugee Day observed annually on June 20, underscores international dimensions of refugee protection. Yet the specific focus on Malaysia's national context, historical experience and existing challenges reflects acknowledgment that global refugee frameworks must be adapted to individual country circumstances. For Southeast Asian nations grappling with refugee populations amid varying migration pressures and security concerns, Malaysia's conference outcomes offer a template for structured stakeholder engagement that neither abandons humanitarian principles nor ignores legitimate governance concerns.

The establishment of communication and advocacy mechanisms to support civil society organisations facing attacks and disinformation campaigns indicates recognition that refugee-related advocacy itself faces escalating hostility in several Southeast Asian contexts. By creating institutional structures to defend organisations promoting refugee protection, the resolutions attempt to preserve civic space for humanitarian engagement. This defensive dimension reflects deteriorating conditions for refugee advocacy across the region, where anti-refugee narratives have increasingly become politically mobilised.

Moving forward, the success of the Kuala Lumpur conference will depend substantially on whether government institutions, particularly the Home Ministry and National Security Council, engage seriously with the proposed framework. Malaysia's historical management of refugee populations from diverse origins provides institutional memory and operational capacity that could inform regional approaches. However, translating conference resolutions into coherent policy requires demonstrating to both government and the broader public that comprehensive refugee management strengthens rather than compromises national interests and community stability.