More than 219,000 individuals are currently registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) office in Kuala Lumpur, says Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (pic).
The Deputy Prime Minister said the figure comprised 66,493 asylum seekers and 152,979 refugees as of April 2026.
“The registered population comprises 100,184 adult men, 50,474 adult women, 35,345 boys and 33,469 girls.
“They originate from some 60 countries, including Myanmar, Syria, Pakistan, Yemen and Afghanistan,” he said in a parliamentary written reply.
Ahmad Zahid said the government neither verifies nor determines refugee status, as the process is handled entirely by the UNHCR office.
As such, he said the registered figures may not reflect the actual number of refugees and asylum seekers in the country.
“The process of granting refugee and asylum seeker status is carried out and recorded entirely by the UNHCR office in Kuala Lumpur without the involvement of any ministry, department or government agency,” he added.
Ahmad Zahid was responding to a question from Rosol Wahid (PN-Hulu Terengganu) on the current number of UNHCR cardholders and cases involving fraudulent UNHCR cards since 2023.
