Malaysia and the Vietnamese refugees, 1975-1980: an evaluative study

Abstract

The study sought to investigate how Malaysia’s ‘first asylum’ policy towards the Vietnamese refugees was made during the period of 1975-1980 by examining the roles of five factors that shaped the policy through the country’s policy-making process. The five factors are: the role of the Prime Ministers and their respective idiosyncratic variables, Malaysian policymakers, agencies of the Executive branch namely the Cabinet, National Security Council, a number of Malaysian Ministries and Parliament, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and societal factors. The study shows that all of the above-mentioned factors had influenced the policy-making process of the policy. It also reveals that these factors had left varying degrees of influence on the country’s ‘first asylum’ policy. While the Head of the Executive branch, that is Prime Ministers Abdul Razak and Hussein Onn, had the most influential role in the formulation of the policy, other members of the Executive branch namely, Ghazali Shafie, Tengku Ahmad Rithauddeen, members of the Cabinet as well those of the National Security Council (NSC), had also provided noticeable and significant input in the formulation and implementation of the policy. A variety of governmental ministries and agencies, including the UNHCR and the Malaysian Red Crescent Society (MRCS) played pivotal roles in the implementation of the policy. Finally, societal factors such as public opinion and local political parties appeared to be domestic constraints of the policy. The study concluded with, recommendations for further studies on refugees in Malaysia and formulating a coherent refugee policy in the country.