| 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 fallen into the hands of human traffickers and have been killed by other criminals. [4]
