: The elders of a small Rohingya community here are forced to tighten their belts most days just to ensure their children are not denied basic education.
“We understand this because Malaysia is not a signatory of the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, also known as the 1951 Refugee Convention and the 1967 Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees, so we cannot expect the schools here to open their doors. “It is a hard life for us but we have no choice as this is for the future of our children. It may seem trivial now if they are denied formal education, but what about the future? “ Mohd Hassan, who hails from the restive Rakhine region in Myanmar, and who has been in Ipoh for 12 years now, said.
Eleven-year-old Faruk Abdul Rasid, whose favourite subject is English and who wants to be a policeman one day, said it was fun going to school and learning new things everyday.