Don’t dehumanise Rohingya, says preacher

KUALA LUMPUR: Religious leader Firdaus Wong has called upon Malaysians to refrain from dehumanising Rohingya refugees, emphasizing that while they lack the same rights as citizens, they are still entitled to fundamental human dignity. Wong maintained that one must differentiate between the rights afforded to citizens and the basic rights that refugees are entitled to as fellow human beings.

"Simply because they are stateless, simply because they are Rohingya, simply because they are refugees, that does not grant anyone the right to dehumanise them," he stated.

Wong made these remarks during the New Muslim Community conference 2026 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Kuala Lumpur. Tenaganita executive director Glorene Das had previously suggested that public anger towards the Rohingya was misguided, as it fails to consider the underlying social issues faced by the community. She highlighted issues such as their exclusion from legal employment and formal education, as well as their lack of secure legal standing.

Das noted that while those who break the law should be held accountable, the actions of a few should not be used to judge or dehumanise an entire community.

Drawing a connection to the treatment of Palestinians, Wong remarked that the Rohingya's situation also began with dehumanisation. "Just as we detest what occurred in Palestine, which started with the dehumanisation of Palestinians, the same applies to the Rohingya. So, why as Malaysians and Muslims in Malaysia should we engage in actions that we ought not to?" he asked in response to a participant's query about the treatment of refugees in Malaysia.

Wong also questioned whether Malaysians were fair to stateless individuals, citing the example of prisoners of war, who are similarly entitled to basic rights such as adequate sustenance and humane treatment.