Young Myanmar Couple Seeking Peace in Malaysia

*Razia (20) and *Mahmud (21), a married young Muslim couple from Myanmar, are still adjusting to the change of environment, after arriving in Malaysia just less than a month ago. The 4-day journey from Myanmar to Malaysia was not an easy one, as it began with a car ride, followed by a long walk through the dense jungles before eventually taking a boat from Thailand to Malaysia. 

“The circumstances made it too difficult for us to continue leading a normal life in Myanmar,” says Razia, who grew up in Kayin state as the eldest among the three siblings. 

“There were barely any opportunities for us to earn a living, especially after the military seized control of our hometowns (in the south of Myanmar). The recurring violence conducted by the army and the increasing death tolls made it unbearable for us to continue living in our village. I was pregnant, so we needed to find a safe place to stay and make the decision to remain in Myanmar or leave as soon as possible.” As the violence intensified, Razia and Mahmud had to think on their feet, despite having very limited resources to simply move to different places. Left with very confined options, both of them embarked on an irregular migration journey to seek a safe place to live.  

When individuals flee violence, they often resort to irregular migration, which can be highly pricey and unsafe. Like many other refugees and asylum-seekers pursuing better lives for themselves and their families, the couple’s actions came with a cost – and not a cheap one, relative to their financial state.

“We managed to get in touch with an agent who agreed to help us come to Malaysia,” says Mahmud, whose family is from Mon state. 

“Each of us had to pay MMK 2,180,000 (USD1,038), totaling up to MMK 4,360,000 (USD2,076). Because we did not have that much cash with us, we had to borrow money from our friends, who were kind enough to help us out,” he continues.  

“But we had promised to pay them back in the next several months,” adds Razia.  

Upon their arrival, both of them were welcomed by Razia’s mother, 51-year-old *Myia who has been living in Malaysia for over a decade. She brought them to live with her in a small flat in Selayang, a town located in Selangor state.

Having left school only in Year 2 (at the age of 8) in order to support their families, Razia and Mahmud still struggle to make ends meet in their new home. Their situation as new arrivals also means that they will have to wait for some time before they can attain a valid UNHCR card. At the moment, Mahmud is working part-time as a cleaner, although he is still in search of a more regular job so that he can support his loved ones in a more sustainable way. Their family is among the hundreds of beneficiaries that receive financial aid in the form of rental assistance from IOM Malaysia, through a funding provided by the European Union Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO). 

“It’s too early for us to make any comments about our life in Malaysia, but we are lucky to be receiving all the support we need from our family here,” says Mahmud. “We feel that our (current) life is better and easier here in Malaysia as compared to that in Myanmar.”   

“We are comfortable here. Malaysia is a good place for us for now,” adds Razia.