Rohingya Muslim refugees who fled persecution in Myanmar face new challenges in Malaysia
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Nur Sadek was once on track to become an Islamic scholar. His mother dreamed of raising a son who would serve as a faith leader in their western Myanmar village. Sadek’s family belongs to the Rohingya ethnic minority. The predominantly Muslim group shares an area in Myanmar's Rakhine State with Buddhists and a smaller Hindu population. Ethnic and religious divisions have…
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Nur Sadek, once destined to become an Islamic scholar in his western Myanmar village, now studies law and advocates for Rohingya rights in Malaysia. Sadek's family is part of the Rohingya ethnic minority, a predominantly Muslim group that shares territory with Buddhists and a smaller Hindu population in Myanmar's Rakhine State.
The region's history has been shaped by ethnic and religious divisions. In 2017, Sadek and his loved ones fled their community after soldiers opened fire, striking the tin roof of his home. He left with nothing but his clothes and never returned to Myanmar. The military crackdown that year forced around 700,000 Rohingya to escape, many of them crossing into Bangladesh, according to the U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR).
Since then, additional Rohingya have sought refuge in other Asian countries such as India, Indonesia, and Thailand. As of February 2026, approximately 126,000 Rohingya were registered with UNHCR in Malaysia, a Muslim-majority country where Sadek now calls home.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
This story
This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.
