Antara Kepentingan Nasional dan Komitmen Antarabangsa: Pengalaman Malaysia Mengurus Pelarian Vietnam dari Tahun 1975 Hingga 1990-an (Between National Interest and International Commitment: Malaysia’s Experience In Managing Vietnamese Refugees, 1975 To 1990s)

Abstract

This paper discusses Malaysia’s experience managing Vietnamese refugees from 1975 to the 1990s. Since 1975, Malaysia has assisted more than 250,000 Vietnamese refugees on global humanitarian grounds. However, Malaysia had to change several policies, including closing its doors, urging third countries and chairing the second Indochina refugee conference as the number of Vietnamese refugees coming to Malaysia continued to increase. At the same time, the Terengganu state government has reclaimed Bidong Island as a temporary settlement for Vietnamese refugees in Malaysia. This had caused a dilemma to Malaysia between its commitments to international humanitarian assistance and to safeguard its national interests. Historical research methods are used by referring to primary sources, especially the report of the Parliament of Malaysia. An interview with Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was also conducted. Based on historical analysis, it appears that Malaysia had consistently committed to assisting Vietnamese refugees in Malaysia even though Malaysia had never ratified the 1951 Refugee Convention and the Refugee Protocol 1967. Nonetheless, Malaysia’s efforts have been widely criticized as inhumane at the international level for threatening to shoot as well as pushing Vietnamese refugees back to sea. But Malaysia never gave up and continued to treat Vietnamese refugees appropriately before being deported to their home country or transferred to third countries.