Total population | |
---|---|
303,996 (2014)[1] | |
Regions with significant populations | |
Kuala Lumpur · Selangor · Penang · Johore · Kedah | |
Languages | |
Burmese · Chin-Zomi · Rohingya · Malay · English and other Burmese languages | |
Religion | |
Christianity · Islam · Buddhism | |
Related ethnic groups | |
Burmese diaspora, Malaysian Siamese |
Burmese in Malaysia mostly comprise manual labourers and refugees. The 2014 Myanmar Census enumerated 303,996 Burmese individuals living in Malaysia.[1] As of November 2014, there are around 139,200 Burmese refugees registered under UNHCR for which 50,620 are Chins, 40,070 are Rohingyas, 12,160 Panthays and 7,440 others are Rakhines/Arakaneses.[2] However, the Malaysian government does not officially recognise all newly arrived refugees as it may encourage more to enter Malaysia as Malaysian officials noted they may become a threat to national security.[3] Many of the new workers and refugees have frequently fall into the hand of human traffickers and have been killed by other criminals.[4]