https://padlet.com/ctnajla24/or9uiaoy7zhlrgv1 SOCIAL COHESION BETWEEN ROHINGYA AND MALAYSIAN COMMUNITITES en-us 2023-06-29 12:43:23 UTC 2025-12-12 06:43:05 UTC hello@padlet.com ctnajla24 https://padlet.com/ctnajla24/or9uiaoy7zhlrgv1/wish/2635152525 The majority of the Rohingya, an ethnic and religious minority group, reside in the Rakhine State of Myanmar (formerly known as Burma). They are predominately Muslims and have an unique  cultural and linguistic background. International attention has been drawn to the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe involving Rohingya refugees in Malaysia. In order to escape the violence, persecution, and discrimination they experienced in their native Myanmar, thousands of Muslims from the Rohingya ethnic group have sought refugee status in Malaysia. 

These refugees, the majority of whom are women, children, and senior citizens, have set out on risky journeys and endured risky situations in pursuit of safety and a better life. They encounter many difficulties after they arrive in Malaysia, such as restricted access to healthcare, education, and possibilities for employment.  The Rohingya community in Malaysia has shown tenacity, cohesion, and a willingness to reconstruct their lives while preserving their cultural heritage despite these challenges.  

The ability of individuals and organisations from various backgrounds to coexist peacefully within society is referred to as social cohesiveness. With regard to Malaysia and the Rohingya populations, this project is consistent with SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions. Determining the elements that affect social cohesion between Malaysian and Rohingya communities in the Balok area is the aim of our investigation. We were able to survey 12 Malaysian households and 20 Rohingya households in the Balok area using the questionnaires we prepared.  Thus, it is established that their social cohesion is being affected by problems.

]]> 2023-06-29 12:51:14 UTC https://padlet.com/ctnajla24/or9uiaoy7zhlrgv1/wish/2635152525 ctnajla24 https://padlet.com/ctnajla24/or9uiaoy7zhlrgv1/wish/2635174435 Firstly, we had to prepare 30 to 40 questions for both Rohingya and Malaysian households related to their social behaviour and their relationship among other communities. This is to ease our interview sessions and also to do analysis about this topic. We also had equipped bunch of souvenirs to show some appreciation for their cooperation along the interview sessions. 

On 12th June, me and my coursemates gathered at the lobby of Kulliyah Of Science in IIUM Kuantan at 8 a.m. Dr. Fahmida gave us some briefing about our tasks. She also told us about what would we be doing and what challenges that we might encounter during our interview sessions at Kg. Balok. 

I was very nervous because I was very sure that most of the Rohingya community have limited skills in Malay or English language. That was the only language I know without a doubt. It makes me wonder if they would understand most of my questions that I will ask during the interview.

Additionally, I was also afraid because I never encountered any Rohingya people before. So, I didn't know how they would behave and how would they react to certain things. Furthermore, there was quite a lot of questions that we had prepare. I was worried that I will take their time, bothering them. ]]> 2023-06-29 13:27:09 UTC https://padlet.com/ctnajla24/or9uiaoy7zhlrgv1/wish/2635174435 ctnajla24 https://padlet.com/ctnajla24/or9uiaoy7zhlrgv1/wish/2635176374 On 12th June, we were divided into smaller groups when we first  visited Kg. Beserah Balok to conduct social surveys in 10 Malaysian and 20 Rohingya households. I got the chance to interview 2 Rohingya households and 1 Malaysian household. 

The first person I had interviewd that day is a housewife and also a soon-to-be mom, and the surrounding environment is kinda unpleasant and not organized. The area was like not supervised and it was like full of trash. Plus, the smell was also not very nice. The woman I interviewed understands Malay language but could not speak the language very well. I obviously need a translator who is one of her husband’s friends. She complained that it is very hard living in Malaysia as a Rohingya refugee because it is difficult to get jobs in that area and there is also difficulty for her basic needs like healthcare. Since she just came to Malaysia, she still hasn't gotten her legal documentation and recognition that makes it difficult for her to live her daily life. 

In addition, the other household I get to interview is a mom of 5 children. She also have limited skills in Malay language but luckily, all of her kids understand and know how to speak very well in Malay language. I was very curious how did they know how to speak Malay without being teached by their parents, but one of her kids told me that he and his siblings are schooling there. Their school is nearby and there is no problem at all in transportation. Same as before, it is very hard for them to get jobs since the pandemic during 2020. Thus, they thought they were being discriminated against by us Malaysians for not giving up jobs to them but I think it is because there are very limited jobs for everyone in Malaysia nowadays. Both respondents avoid encountering and even communicating with the locals as they do not want to cause any problems to their community.  Besides that, she and her family do not have any other problems living their daily lives in Malaysia.

As expected, most Malaysian households do not want to cooperate during our surveys. However, I was able to get one respondent from the Malaysian community. During the survey, he expressed his disagreement with the surrounding presence of Rohingya. He perceived the Rohingya community to have a distinctive culture and a propensity for further colonization. In addition, he also felt anxious about certain Rohingya who were rude towards the locals in the area. However, he still thinks that the Rohingya community deserves to live happily here in Malaysia. It's just that he thinks that we as Malaysians could teach them some stuff to adapt in this country. 

Overall, without a doubt, I think I had dealt with these challenges as well as I could. We had translators for these language barrier and I managed to make them understand our questionnaires that we had prepared before and I'm pretty sure that I didnt take a lot of their time by doing this interviews. So, it is working out as i expected. I learned that we should not judge people or discriminate them just by their races. Most of the Rohingya people I've encountered in that particular area was very kind and nice people. ]]> 2023-06-29 13:30:03 UTC https://padlet.com/ctnajla24/or9uiaoy7zhlrgv1/wish/2635176374 ctnajla24 https://padlet.com/ctnajla24/or9uiaoy7zhlrgv1/wish/2635180727 We left the area at 2:00 p.m on the same day. Plus, we also had to fill out the google form that was prepared by Dr. Fahmida so that we could analyze our results combined for the next task which is the presentation at the symposium. 

After conducting this interview, I believe that both sides, Rohingya and Malaysian communities should attend a social event to reconcile their social divide. The primary problems that I can see are that there aren't any social gatherings that would encourage conversations between Malaysia and the Rohingya. As a result, they are unable to understand the norms of many cultures and to recognise the various social problems that exist. Here, even though modest food donations can assist to close the gap, I view social interaction and conversation as being significant enough to make up for it. Another significant issue that I have identified is the Rohingya community's poor sanitation management, which contributes to their negative perception of the Malaysian community.

In conclusion, I am able to state that the major challenge between the Rohingya and Malaysian communities is the lack of social relations caused by different cultural backgrounds, which can be overcome by organizing social activities among them. In addition, the issue of cleanliness can be handled through awareness campaigns in order to lessen the stigmatization from Malaysian communities. In addition to the communication issue, people should take action to reduce discrimination and increase awareness of our community, particularly Malaysians.]]> 2023-06-29 13:36:59 UTC https://padlet.com/ctnajla24/or9uiaoy7zhlrgv1/wish/2635180727