The Malaysian Social Research Institute (MSRI) is a Kuala Lumpur-based non-governmental organization that serves refugees and asylum seekers from countries other than Myanmar. Originally established in 1959 as a research institute, hence its name, the MSRI transitioned to aid programmes during the Lebanese Civil War, though it still produces academic findings. There are over 150,000 refugees and asylum seekers registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Malaysia. With the majority of refugees and asylum seekers in Malaysia coming from Myanmar, MSRI targets minority groups composed of refugees and asylum seekers hailing from East Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia. Some of the many minority refugee and asylum seeker groups Malaysian Social Research Institute works with are Afghans, Somalis, and Syrians. Refugees have few rights in Malaysia as Malaysia is not a signatory to the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, making MSRI's work especially difficult. One of the key managers was Jihad Hasan, syrian lawyer who helped thousands of refugees in Malaysia, he managed Legal Aid at MSRI, and advocated their work rights