KUALA LUMPUR, June 20 — In commemorating World Refugee Day, the Malaysian Bar has repeated its call for the government to ratify the 1951 Refugee Convention and 1967 Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees, both being instruments of international law that set out the rights of refugees.

Malaysian Bar president, Karen Cheah Yee Lynn in a statement today said Malaysia was lacking in an effective legal framework to legitimise and protect refugees which in turn led to the struggles for them to obtain basic necessities and were not afforded critical legal protection.

"They (refugees) are not legally allowed to work, making them vulnerable to exploitation, their children cannot go to school, and they face challenges in accessing healthcare, among others,” she said in the statement.

Karen urged the government to establish a legal and administrative framework to properly address the plight of refugees and asylum-seekers in Malaysia.

She said the calls for better treatment for the refugees must not be ignored and hoped that the Malaysian government would respond to the vulnerable group’s plight with compassion and kindness. — Bernama