Rohingya families face new barriers abroad as politics and public sentiment harden
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim speaks at a pro-Palestinian solidarity rally in Kuala Lumpur on Aug. 24. Recent comments by Anwar suggesting his primary responsibility is toward Malaysians, not foreigners, have generated concern that refugees could face further marginalization. © Reuters
YUJI KURONUMA
December 23, 2025 08:00 JST
Abdullah Aziz, a 14-year-old Rohingya, said the boat he was packed onto with 130 other refugees drifted at sea for 34 days after leaving Bangladesh before arriving in the Malaysian state of Kedah in February this year. Born in a refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar, where he lived with his mother and four older siblings, Aziz was the only member of the family to make the perilous journey.