Journalist, film-maker and organizer of the annual Refugee Fest, Mahi Ramakrishnan, talks about refugees and the arts, and reflects on Malaysian responses towards advocacy efforts for refugees. We also talk a little about refugees and human trafficking, and how those two issues intersect. Aside from that, gain some insight on how NGOs and CSOs sustain their work.

Debbie Stothard i.e. Secretary-General of the International Federation of Human Rights and coordinator of ALTSEAN (Alternative ASEAN Network for Burma), talks about the economic impact of refugees in Malaysia, reflects on why it’s hard for Malaysians at-large to empathise with refugee issues and, by way of a “motorcycle analogy” discusses an existing Malaysian mechanism that would solve many problems if it were comprehensively implemented across the entire refugee population in the country.

What is a refugee and how are they different from economic migrants? How are their lives governed in Malaysia? What are the priorities in the campaigns for their rights? We go over the basics with Elise Arya Chen, program officer at Tenaganita.

Note: Host Nadine accidentally makes up a word: “persecu-ing.” If you hear that (good listening skills!), what she meant was “fleeing.”

Music by Joseph McDade

In this episode, Hasnah Hussin, a program officer at Tenaganita and a refugee, tells Nadine the story of her parents leaving Myanmar for Malaysia. Hasnah also shares her experience of going to Malaysian government school, which these days is an opportunity very few children with refugee status get. Along the way, her story touches on topics such as human trafficking in the fishing industry, refugee resettlement and more. Hasnah was born and raised in Malaysia. Learn how refugee status has impacted her life.

Music by Joseph McDade