--- title: "Teresa Kok Urges Govt To Let Refugee Children Attend Public Schools" url: https://weirdkaya.com/teresa-kok-urges-govt-to-let-refugee-children-attend-public-schools/ date: 2026-10-06 modified: 2026-10-06 lang: en author: "Nanthini Suresh" description: "More than 41,000 refugee children registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Malaysia are not receiving formal education, according to figures cited by Seputeh MP Teresa..." categories: - "Society" tags: - "Public Schools" - "Refugee" - "UNHCR" image: https://cdn.weirdkaya.com/media/Teresa-Kok-Urges-Govt-To-Let-Refugee-Children-Attend-Public-Schools.png word_count: 450 --- # Teresa Kok Urges Govt To Let Refugee Children Attend Public Schools ## TL: DR - **Seputeh MP Teresa Kok:** Urges the Education Ministry in the Dewan Rakyat to allow UNHCR-registered refugee children into Malaysian government schools. - **UNHCR Malaysia Figures:** Reveal that 65% of 64,224 registered refugee children, around 41,745 individuals, currently do not receive formal education. - **Broader Policy Proposals:** Include implementing the Refugee Registration Document within six months for 19,987 immigration detainees and allowing refugees to work. **More than 41,000 refugee children registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Malaysia are not receiving formal education, according to figures cited by Seputeh MP Teresa Kok.** She urged the Education Ministry to allow refugee children to enrol in government schools, with support from UNHCR and its education partners. ![teresa kok at parliament](https://cdn.weirdkaya.com/media/268342_809645773_1111500451565927_1846436443468685288_n-edited.jpg)Photo via[ FB/Teresa Kok](https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1679337670227604&set=pb.100044541604723.-2207520000) The proposal was included in the parliamentary committee’s Report on Refugee Management in Malaysia, which was debated in the Dewan Rakyat, reported [NST](https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2026/10/1548108/refugee-children-should-be-allowed-government-schools-says-kok). ### Concern over children growing up unable to read or write Kok said she fully supported the proposal and hoped the ministry would act on it. Reported by [NST](https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2026/10/1548108/refugee-children-should-be-allowed-government-schools-says-kok?source=widget&fbclid=IwY2xjawUxjodleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBwZG9mAXNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR5U54Foan7koo4kyAB4KgSIQiguLUq0ylen6SKb17T9G7AynmXI4jjuRHl5Ug_aem_DjkGhsMRu3Xe_PJQk7nslw), she warned against allowing a generation of young people without citizenship status to grow up in Malaysia unable to read and write. According to UNHCR figures cited in the report, Malaysia had 214,079 registered refugees and asylum seekers, including 64,224 children. Of these children, 65 per cent — around 41,745 — were not receiving formal education. ### Actual number could be higher Kok pointed out that the figures only covered children registered with UNHCR. She believed the number without access to formal education could be two or three times higher when unregistered refugees were included. “We should be concerned about what will happen to this young generation who are not receiving formal education,” she said. Under the proposal, UNHCR and its education partners would help refugee children make the transition into government schools. The report also recommended reviewing the regulations and registration standards for Alternative Learning Centres, taking into account both education quality and the practical challenges these centres face. ## Calls for clearer refugee registration process Kok also called for improvements to Malaysia’s wider refugee management system, including the implementation of the Refugee Registration Document (DPP). She supported establishing an integrated, transparent and auditable system to verify refugees’ identities and determine their status. For migrants held in immigration depots, she backed the report’s recommendation to prioritise and complete the DPP process within six months. Citing the report, Kok said the Immigration Department conducted 13,678 operations in 2025, while 19,987 people were being held in immigration depots. She questioned whether keeping so many people in detention was an effective use of public funds. “Nearly 20,000 people being detained in immigration depots is an astonishing figure. Isn't this a waste of government funds?” she said. ## Suggests allowing registered refugees to work Kok also proposed giving registered refugees access to jobs in sectors facing labour shortages, including manufacturing and plantations. She said Malaysia continued to depend on foreign workers for jobs that struggled to attract local workers. "Refugees in Malaysia should be utilised as a source of labour for our economy,” she said. **READ [ALSO](https://weirdkaya.com/minister-steven-sim-suggests-hiring-refugees-already-in-msia-instead-of-recruiting-more-foreign-workers/):** https://weirdkaya.com/minister-steven-sim-suggests-hiring-refugees-already-in-msia-instead-of-recruiting-more-foreign-workers/ --- [![WeirdKaya is on Instagram!](https://weirdkaya.com/wp-content/uploads/ig-article-cta.png)](https://www.instagram.com/weirdkaya/)For more stories like this, follow WeirdKaya on Facebook and Instagram! ---