A former colleague of mine who has retired for several years used to give her do-little nephew money because she did not want her sister's son to starve. The more she gave him, the more he expected from her until lately when her relatives blamed her for not helping him enough. The questions which arise here are - Is it fair for my former colleague's relatives to blame her for not giving this do-little guy enough money to lead a decent life? Why she alone should provide for him? What about the other relatives? Can't they do something to help this do-little young man? Does it mean that my former colleague has taken full responsibility for her nephew just because she helps him out on humanitarian grounds? Don't you think that all her relatives have equal responsibility in his welfare? Why are they saying that she is stingy because she gives her nephew very little money each month even though they themselves do not give him anything at all? It is good to have aspirations but these aspirations are meaningless without actions.
I have been following the Rohingya debate on the internet for some time and this constantly reminds me of what is happening to my colleague (above). As of March 2020, there are 179,521 UNHCR cardholders in Malaysia and 101,584 are Rohingyas. At the same time, more than 1 million Rohingyas are sheltering at the refugee camps in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. Looking at these numbers, one cannot deny the fact that Malaysia and Bangladesh have done a lot to help the Rohingyas. Apart from Malaysia and Bangladesh, which country on earth would be willing to take care of such a great number of Rohingyas? And the Rohingyas are doing well in Malaysia - many of them even have their own business (Please click here to read the success stories of the Rohingyas). That is the reason why they keep coming to Malaysia through illegal means such as human smuggling in violation of the country's immigration law. It is reported that the Rohingyas have made perilous journeys to Malaysia through a syndicate of human traffickers and these journeys are not cheap as each of them has to pay their traffickers RM15,000 to sail to Malaysia.
However, the time has come when Malaysia can no longer take in more Rohingyas as the country has become too concentrated with them and has exceeded its capacity to take care of their welfare. Receiving more Rohingyas, particularly during the coronavirus pandemic, would also mean that the lives of Malaysians are at risk as this would interfere with the Government's efforts to fight the pandemic. During these hard times, Malaysia has no other option but to turn away a boat (which originated in Cox's Bazar) carrying about 200 Rohingya refugees from entering Malaysia waters on 16 April 2020. Because of this, the Malaysian authorities have been criticised for using the pandemic as an excuse to turn away the Rohingyas. But is this fair?
Can anyone imagine what would happen if our country has allowed that boat to land? Among the dire consequences are:
1. Once our country has given the green-light, more and more boats would be arriving in Malaysia and the day would come when all the Rohingyas in Cox's Bazar would make Malaysia their home. Why Malaysia and not elsewhere? Because it seems that no one wants the Rohingyas. Because they do not like Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar (Selayang is certainly much better than Cox's Bazar). Because Malaysia has been very kind to them. The Rohingyas are so desperate to come to Malaysia that those who arrive illegally intentionally damage their boat beyond repair so that they cannot be deported. They can wait for months at the Andaman Sea (somewhere near Koh Adang Island in Southern Thailand) looking out for the opportunity to enter Malaysia waters and once they get there, they would purposely damage their boat. That sounds more like forcing Malaysia to accept them. How can these Rohingya boats last for so many months at sea? According to the chief of the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), syndicates from Thailand and Myanmar provide food and fuel for them.
2. The human traffickers preying on Rohingyas would become billionaires out of their human-smuggling business in no time. In doing so, they are putting the lives of the Rohingyas in danger because the dilapidated boats that they provide for the refugees may capsize or sink at sea. Needless to say, this kind of smuggling business should not be encouraged. According to the CEO of Fortify Rights, Matthew Smith, "Sending an ill-equipped ship of refugees out to sea is unlawful and a death sentence." How right he is! But who actually sent the ill-equipped ship of refugees to sea? The human traffickers did. Why did they do it? For the sake of money. So is it fair to blame Malaysia for their human-smuggling business?
3. If Malaysia encourages the illegal entry of the Rohingyas, their counterparts in Thailand and Indonesia would definitely take every opportunity to sneak into Malaysia in the hope for a better life. Those entering Malaysia illegally from Indonesia may have been infected with Covid-19 as Indonesia is also known as the "Italy of Southeast Asia". Under such circumstances, the lives of Malaysians would be greatly endangered (Do you know that many Rohingya refugees have vanished from Indonesia? Where are they now? Smuggled into Malaysia?).
4. With the increase in the number of foreign workers, the Covid-19 infection rate would go up. Why is it so? Because the majority of those tested positive for Covid-19 are foreign workers. Living in cramped and dirty conditions, they have contributed greatly to the spread of Covid-19. Since all they want is a roof over their head, these foreigners could not be bothered about good hygiene. Do you know that the Rohingyas like to keep goats and cows in their apartment? They also like to chew betel nut leaves and spit it out everywhere. OMG! That is why being surrounded by foreign workers can be very stressful for Malaysian citizens. The long-time residents of Pudu, for instance, are very eager to move out if only they can afford to do so because the area is well-known for its large concentration of foreign workers. According to a Pudu homemaker, each time she sees a foreign worker, she would be wondering when the area would come under enhanced movement control order (EMCO). She was so worried that she started to panic when the day she feared finally arrived. When news broke out that some of these foreign workers were infected with Covid-19, she just rushed out to get her groceries as though she had lost her mind and accidentally fell down and twisted her ankle. Since the commencement of the movement control order (MCO), she and her neighbors have already been worrying about their fate because the foreign workers like to meet and chat in groups without practicing social distancing and not wearing a mask at all or simply wearing a mask under their nose. The Rohingyas also have the habit of fleeing from quarantine centers and these coronavirus runaways could endanger public health (You may like to read Rohingya refugee, possibly with Covid-19, disappears from quarantine centre).
5. With the influx of Rohingyas, many Malaysians would find themselves out of work because they have to compete with the refugees who do not mind getting a lower pay and working for longer hours. Some of these foreigners have also become their own boss. Would the foreign workers replace the locals one day? Please read Chinatown turning into foreigntown & Malaysians hold dear Petaling Street, mourn lost identity.
6. Our streets would be full of Rohingya beggars. I have seen lots of Rohingya women and children begging at the wet markets and around KLCC and Bukit Bintang area. Begging is a lucrative career in Malaysia and according to the New Straits Times (dated 19 Mac 2018), these Rohingya beggars can collect RM80-RM90 daily. The child beggars also have the habit of annoying members of the public by pulling their clothes. How do you like being chased by beggars who keep pulling your clothes and asking for money each time you go out? Remember, Rohingyas breed fast and when there are too many of them in the country, this is what we have to endure.
7. If there are too many of them in the country, it is very obvious that the crime rate would rise. In fact, some of these refugees have already been arrested for robbery, burglary and murder. Do you know that on 25 August 2017, the Rohingyas killed 99 Hindu villagers in Rakhine? Please read Cops on the hunt for two Rohingya after busting burglary gang; Five Rohingyas detained in connection with multi-state crime spree; Cops arrest five foreigners suspected of being involved in house break-ins in Ampang; Body of 6-year-old girl found on road shoulder, stepfather prime suspect; Cops nab Myanmar man, woman over Grab driver’s murder; and Myanmar Rohingya militants massacred Hindus, says Amnesty.
8. Their demands would increase too. Recently they demanded for equal rights - the rights to job opportunities, education, and health. They also wanted to have Selayang (a town in Gombak district, Selangor). If they bring the entire Cox's Bazar to Malaysia, then it is nothing surprising if they want to be members of parliament and / or ministers.
In Bangladesh, marriages between Bangladeshis and Rohingyas are banned to prevent the latter from using marriage to gain citizenship. Last month, Bangladesh has also emphasized that Not A Single Rohingya Will Be Allowed To Enter. I don't understand why some people are criticizing Malaysia for turning back a Rohingya boat. Are they trying to say that Malaysia should be the next Cox's Bazar after Bangladesh? The question which arises here is - Should we still encourage the Rohingyas to come to Malaysia at the expense of our own people? As the saying goes "Kera di hutan disusukan, anak di rumah mati kelaparan" which means that the monkeys in the forest are given milk to drink while the children at home are dying from hunger. Surely, this should not be allowed to happen in Malaysia!
Perhaps those who say that Malaysia should do more for the Rohingyas have forgotten that they can also do something to help them as the responsibility to help these refugees is not restricted to Malaysia or Bangladesh. Maybe each of them can adopt a Rohingya family - pay for their living expenses and send their children to international schools. Or they can contribute money to buy land in various countries and build houses for the Rohingyas. What about marrying a Rohingya? It is possible. I am sure the Rohingyas would be grateful to their benefactors. In actual fact, if every country in this world is willing to take in 10,000 Rohingyas, they would be able to solve the Rohingya refugee crisis. Let us hope and pray that the whole world would do something to help the Rohingyas and solve the refugee problems encountered by Malaysia and Bangladesh.
The Rohingyas can also consider going back to Myanmar since many of them have already returned to their country. I remember watching a BBC documentary about Myanmar and I saw many newly built houses in Rakhine for the Rohingyas to move in once they return to their country. Frankly speaking, I would love to have a house like that in the countryside. According to the Bangkok Post, Myanmar is 'ready' for the return of Rohingya. This is really good news for the Rohingyas as their country wants them to return and have made preparations to receive them. Why not return home instead of giving problems to other countries and ended up belonging nowhere? I am sure this is the best solution for the Rohingyas because it seems that nobody wants them. Since Suu Kyi Says Myanmar Is Ready to Welcome Back Rohingya Refugees, they should give themselves another chance and take her word for it. The wisest thing for them to do is to start all over again in their homeland. Why not? Myanmar is a beautiful country.
Thanks for reading. You may also like to read There Is Gold Everywhere in Malaysia and The Rohingya Issue: Justice for Malaysia and Bangladesh. To view the content page of this blog, please click here.
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