After weeks of political unrest, Johor and Negeri Sembilan have dissolved their state assemblies. Polling dates have been set for 11 July and 1 August respectively.
New parties Bersama and Wawasan have entered the fray.
Pakatan Harapan is in an uncomfortable position: its federal government coalition partner, Umno, will now be on the opposing side in these state polls.
Meanwhile, the opposition coalition, Perikatan Nasional, is also adjusting to the loss of its component, Bersatu. It is unclear how Bersatu will fare.
The socialist party PSM and Muda are joining forces and offering voters a “platform built on progressive policies”. These policies focus on tackling the rising living costs, creating quality jobs, protecting ecosystems, building more affordable homes and implementing institutional reform.
As with any election, expect plenty of promises, along with commentary from analysts.
Social media will play a big role. Voters will need to stay sharp to discern between facts and misinformation.
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As important as state elections are, they are not the only story right now.
Shocking anti-Rohingya sentiment
A recent petition on Change.org triggered a surge of anti-Rohingya sentiment.
This prompted calls from various quarters, including Suhakam, for such hate speech and discrimination to stop. The petition was later taken down for review, following a call by an NGO.
In a joint statement, 42 NGOs have welcomed the police chief’s call for calm, noting his statement that only 89 Rohingya individuals were linked to crime since 2024. Only a tiny fraction, 0.02%, of cases of crime in Malaysia involved the Rohingya, he added.
This is not the first time that Rohingya refugees have faced such backlash. But why has it returned now and with such vehemence?
The NGOs have blamed the hostility on disinformation, including the false claim that Rohingya are demanding citizenship, and warn of rising vigilantism.
The toxic social media messaging and Ti Tok videos reveal a painful level of ignorance and callous arrogance. They have struck real fear among Rohingya refugees here. Worse, they risk inciting violence against the community.
The Rohingya here are already in a precarious position. They fled genocide in Rakhine (formerly Arakan) state in Myanmar. Many survived years of hardship in refugee camps in Bangladesh before reaching Malaysia.
Once here, they have no legal or administrative status. This means no right to work and no right to own property. They also face higher costs for housing and health. And their children are shut out from mainstream education.
So, how exactly do we think they are surviving? Targeting them with hatred is not the answer.
The NGOs have asked the government to provide refugees access to work, healthcare and education to meet their basic needs while they await resettlement.
Despite the online hostility and xenophobic comments from certain officials that fuel prejudice, there is a brighter side.
People in Malaysia from different backgrounds continue to display a love of shared humanity. Many have issued statements in support of the refugees. Others are involved in providing basic education, healthcare and humanitarian aid.
Now is the time we must stand in solidarity with those struggling for survival through a situation that is not of their own making.
The government is working on a refugee registration document, aimed at better managing refugees in the country. Hopefully it will include basic rights, including the right to work and the right for children to go to school.
Many reports have suggested that this would be a win for everyone. The right to work would allow refugees to pay taxes and contribute even further to the local economy.
Meanwhile, the lack of action taken against those inciting violence and hatred is disturbing. The 42 NGOs are asking the government to act firmly against vigilantes who take the law into their own hands.
International pressure, including from Asean, must be put on the Myanmar government. The human rights abuses and genocide against the Rohingya there must stop.
Orang Asli land rights
The refugees are not the only vulnerable community in Malaysia.
In early May, we heard about the alleged seizure of Orang Asli customary land and the demolition of their homes in Pekan, Pahang, without due process. The move was to make way for an oil palm plantation on the land, which was leased to a company by the state government.
This is not the first time that Orang Asli land in the peninsula has been encroached upon.
About a month later, more than 1,000 Orang Asli from 19 tribes and communities rallied peaceful in Putrajaya. Their target was the deputy PM, who also oversees the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development and the Department of Orang Asli Development (Jakoa).
The Orang Asli demanded recognition of their ancestral land, and an end to evictions and ‘development’ on their territories.
Back in 2007, Malaysia voted to adopt the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). Yet it has not signed or ratified the legally bindingInternational Labour Organization (ILO) Convention 169 – the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention of 1989.
What does that tell us about how seriously Indigenous rights are being taken?
Free, prior and informed consent is an international human rights standard. It gives Indigenous peoples the right to accept or reject any project affecting their customary lands or resources.
What will it take to get this standard written into our laws? Doing so would help protect the Orang Asli and other Indigenous communities from encroachment, relocation or development without meaningful consent and fair benefits.
Taiping Prison’s shocking abuse
In late May, Suhakam concluded its public inquiry into an incident at Taiping Prison last year.
It found that prison staff used excessive force against about 80 to 100 High Court detainees during a transfer between blocks. The violence injured many and resulted in the death of one detainee, Gan Chin Eng.
The findings describe what happened.
Here are some excerpts from various reports:
According to the panel, the violence involved severe beatings using gazetted weapons and security equipment. Detainees were punched, kicked, dragged, trampled and sprayed with pepper spray while handcuffed and seated in a row…
The weaponisation of security equipment against defenceless or subdued inmates point to a toxic culture where physical abuse is normalised.
There were also attempts to cover things up:
The panel found that injured detainees were denied immediate medical attention, and hospital transfers were delayed to conceal the extent of the violence.
Medical personnel also misdiagnosed serious injuries, such as rib fractures, as minor muscle pain, and used security body scanners instead of proper medical X-rays to examine detainees.
To shield the prison from accountability, medical staff falsified records by backdating treatment entries and attributing injuries to “riots” or “accidental falls”, reflecting a compromised “dual loyalty” where institutional protection was prioritised over professional ethics.
The abuse of power and cruelty on display here is shocking. It is a stark reminder that atrocities do not happen only in war zones overseas. They are happening on our own soil.
The panel proposed several recommendations:
- Disciplinary action against Taiping Prison’s management and staff
- A separate police investigation into the violence committed by prison staff
- A comprehensive study into alternatives to remand and imprisonment, to ease prison overcrowding
- An end to the ‘bucket system’ at Taiping and all other prisons
- Regular and comprehensive training for all prison staff
- Detainees’ basic needs to be consistently met
- Better medical and healthcare facilities in prisons
- A review of whether Taiping Prison, a gazetted heritage building, should keep operating from its present site
- Malaysia’s accession to the UN Convention Against Torture
The Malaysian Bar has called for prison authorities to be held accountable and for Taiping Prison to be closed.
According to news reports, one prison officer has been charged while five others face disciplinary action.
Clearly, the work for a better Malaysia must continue.
Dr Prema Devaraj
Co-editor, Aliran newsletter
19 June 2026
The views expressed in Aliran's media statements and the NGO statements we have endorsed reflect Aliran's official stand. Views and opinions expressed in other pieces published here do not necessarily reflect Aliran's official position.
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