As Malaysia prepares for an election, refugees watch warily

None of the major coalitions mention refugees in their manifestos, but there is concern in the community that the next government could continue to take a tough approach [File: Hasnoor Hussain/Reuters]

On November 19, millions of Malaysian voters will go to the polls to decide the course of their country for the next five years.

But while Malaysians vote in a spirit of hope for the country they want to see, the 183,000 refugees who also live there are watching warily amid what appears to be a recent hardening of rhetoric towards asylum seekers and refugees.