| 總結: | This study explores the representation of refugees living in Malaysia from two perspectives.
Firstly, this study analysed representations of refugees in Malaysian media discourse by the
significant Other in Malaysia, namely elite political voices and the Malaysian press.
Secondly, the perspective of the refugee or the Self was explored through narrative analysis
of refugee in-depth interviews. The analysis of the media texts revealed representations of
the refugee along two binaries. First, the refugee as either an illegal immigrant or a recognised
refugee. Second, the refugee as a social, political and security threat or a victim. The
government voices frequently represented refugees negatively to legitimise keeping them out
or managed as illegals. The alternative voices represented refugees as victims to foreground
the government’s violation of international law and human rights.
Three common identity themes emerged from the thematic analysis of refugee narratives: the
refugee as homo sacer (the bare life), victim and the idealised Self. The refugee narratives
were filled with stories that highlighted their victimisation and helplessness as they
embraced, resisted or re-represented the existing representations assigned to them by the elite
voices. Positioning analysis on the narratives of long-term refugees revealed that
representations of refugees in wider discourse often left them with little room to negotiate a
sense of Self despite living in Malaysia like a Malaysian. Despite feeling a sense of belonging
to Malaysia, they struggled to manage problematic situations involving the local people and
authorities because of particular identity claims they had to take up either by choice or out of
necessity.
This study hopes to provide insight into the complexity in representing refugees as well as to
give refugees a space for actively responding to representations that involve them. Through
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future work from this study, it is hoped that a wider audience will come to understand how
disempowering discourses and simplistic representations of refugees can often have
damaging and long-lasting effects on the daily lives of this vulnerable group.
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