Four top Malaysian celebrities have cleared their diaries this weekend to hit KL Sentral for the largest gathering yet to mark World Refugee Day on Sunday.

azlan The ‘Walk a Mile in a Refugee’s Shoes’ event, organised by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), will be graced by pageant queen Deborah Henry, TV personality Aisah Sinclair, model Daphne Iking and actress Yasmin Hani.

Following the footsteps of UNHCR goodwill ambassador Angelina Jolie, the local personalities will join Malaysians in meeting refugees living in Kuala Lumpur during the event.

refugee story malaysia 130407 fatima 5 In addition, refugees will be conducting cultural performances and selling handicrafts at stalls over the weekend.

“Participants will gain a better understanding of the journey refugees take to find safety, and of the day-to-day difficulties faced while in exile,” says Yante Ismail, spokesperson for UNHCR.

“The aim is to improve public awareness of refugees here, which will help them rebuild their lives in safety and with dignity.”

No legal safeguards

Over 90,000 refugees live in Malaysia, 92 percent of whom are from Burma, with the remainder from  more than 40 different countries including Sri Lanka, Somalia, Afghanistan, Iran and Palestine.

Unlike Malaysia’s estimated three million economic migrants who come to make a living, refugees have fled from conflict zones under threat to their personal safety.

NONE But like an illegal economic migrant, they have no right to legal employment or formal education, and limited access to healthcare because Malaysia does not recognise them as refugees.

Malaysia is one of the few countries which has yet to ratify the United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees 1951, and has no laws concerning refugees.

World Refuge Day, observed on June 20 each year, was set up by the United Nations General Assembly in 2000, and is celebrated in more than 100 cities worldwide.

The Malaysian leg of the event would kick off at 10am. Details can be obtained at the UNHCR website .

Black and white photo credit: UNHCR/B Chauly