Rohingya refugees look out from their homes amid the coronavirus outbreak in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in May. Not only is it refusing to accept the boat people, but Malaysia's tone has changed with heightened hate speech and xenophobic treatment in recent months. The surge in hate speech is believed to have been triggered partly by claims that the Rohingya were demanding citizenship and other legal rights in Malaysia. The Malaysian government's decision in early April to turn back boats carrying Rohingya refugees also contributed to the increase in hate speech. On May 11, an open letter signed by 83 organisations, urged the government to combat online hate speech and xenophobia.

Source: Bangkok Post July 10, 2020 23:48 UTC