ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS A HUGE THREAT TO MALAYSIA'S CORONAVIRUS WAR

Indonesian illegal immigrants hiding in a banana plantation at Kampung Tawau Lama waiting for transport to go to their destinations after sneaking into the country by sea. The bad news is - Indonesia's Covid-19 cases have surpassed China (Source: Jabatan Imigresen Malaysia Facebook).

For months, since the implementation of the Movement Control Order (MCO) on 18 March 2020 until now, I dare not go shopping at all to avoid any risk of infection by the virus. For the first time in my life, I have never bought any clothes, shoes, handbags, watches, books, and artificial jewellery for months. I have really saved a lot of money during these months because apart from food, I have nothing else to buy. Prior to the MCO, I used to visit all the shops in Bukit Bintang area every weekend looking for things to buy but I have never been to this area since the MCO. I prefer not to go out and will avoid it whenever I can particularly because I feel very uncomfortable wearing a mask. As someone who loves shopping, life has been very miserable for me but being hopeful that the coronavirus crisis would come to pass one day does help to brighten up my day. When Malaysia's Covid-19 cases dropped to one on 1 July 2020, I thought that life would go back to normal again very soon. Yes, Malaysia has been very successful in battling Covid-19 and was winning the war.

However, the recent increase of new Covid-19 clusters involving illegal immigrants with more than 100 new cases per day is really scary. It seems that these unwelcome guests are still trying to sneak into the country in the midst of the pandemic bringing the virus with them thus creating new sources of infections. Needless to say, these illegal immigrants pose a serious health threat to Malaysia and have done a lot of damage already. The recent case of a detainee at the Tawau Temporary Detention Center in Sabah who sneaked into Sabah again via Rat Lanes on 5 September 2020 after being deported to the Philippines on 27 August 2020 raise concerns over Covid-19 infections involving undocumented migrants. His wife was tested positive for Covid-19 on 8 September 2020 and was hospitalized. Two of his close contacts were also tested positive for Covid-19 and that was how the 'Sea Cluster' started in Kunak, Sabah. Thus one can see how much damage an illegal immigrant can do to the country. With the highest number of Covid-19 cases in South-East Asia, the Philippines is the worst hit country in the region. The new strain, G614, found in the Philippines, is ten times more infectious than D614, the original strain from Wuhan. With so many unwelcome trouble-makers like him in Sabah, many new clusters have been formed and the Sabah travelers have brought the infections to Peninsular Malaysia. 

Thanks to our Malaysian Armed Forces, Royal Malaysia Police, Immigration Officers, Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, Malaysian Civil Defence Force, Malaysian Border Security Agency, and the General Operations Force for their unrelenting efforts to tighten the country's border control and prevent the Covid-19 outbreak. These frontliners have been doing a great job and if not because of their tireless efforts to stop illegal immigrants from entering the country by sea and via Rat Lanes, the Covid-19 situation here would be much worse. The problem is there are still many illegal immigrants sneaking into Malaysia almost every day and every one of them can turn out to be a new source of Covid-19 infection. What's wrong with their countries? Why can't they stay in their own countries? Why is everyone coming to Malaysia? Is it because There Is Gold Everywhere in Malaysia? To date, millions of illegal immigrants have left their countries to look for an opportunity to succeed in Malaysia, something that is hard to find in their own countries. It seems that there are jobs waiting for the illegal immigrants in Malaysia even though many Malaysians have lost their jobs due to the coronavirus outbreak!

In this article, I would like to share some of the most recent "illegal entry" cases based on the information that I obtained from the Facebook of Jabatan Imigresen Malaysia (Immigration Department of Malaysia). These cases (dated from 1 August 2020 to 29 September 2020) clearly indicate that many illegal immigrants still risk their lives to get to Malaysia almost every day even though they know that they are not welcomed here. Why? Because they know that Malaysia  is the land of opportunity. Their predecessors have proven to them that anyone who comes here can become successful through hard work and determination. Since Malaysia is everyone's favored destination, it really deserves this reputation - the land of opportunity. 

Case 1 (27 September 2020)   
A 24-year-old female agent, 2 male agents aged 20 and 24, and 5 Thai men were arrested by the General Operations Force in Tumpat. The Thai nationals, aged 28 to 33, were on their way to Endau, Johor, to work as fishermen. According to Superintendent Azhari Nusi, their car was coming from the direction of Kampung Simpangan and heading towards Kampung Jubakar when they were asked to stop but they tried to flee and sped off. The officers then gave chase and arrrested them (Source: Ejen wanita, 2 tekong, 5 PATI ditahan).

Case 2 (25 September 2020)   
A 70-year-old taxi driver was arrested for trying to smuggle 3 Indonesian women (aged 37 to 40) into the country (Source: Warga emas, 3 PATI ditahan).

Case 3 (21 September 2020)   

Footsteps on the beach led to the discovery and arrest of 8 illegal immigrants from Indonesia (6 men and 2 women, aged 18-49) who disembarked on Desaru Beach, Johore (Source: Kesan tapak kaki bongkar PATI).

Case 4 (20 September 2020)   

The bodies of 6 illegal immigrants who were drowned while attempting to sneak into the country were found on Teluk C Beach near Bandar Penawar in Kota Tinggi, Johor (Source: 6 Mayat PATI Ditemui).

Case 5 (20 September 2020)   

2 Indonesian human trafficking agents (aged 50 and 59), 14 Indonesian men (aged 25 to 43) and 14 Indonesian women (aged 20 to 53) were arrested in Sabak Bernam by the General Operations Force while they were sneaking into the country (Source: Dua tekong darat dalang penyeludupan PATI ditahan).

Case 6 (19 September 2020)

An illegal Indonesian woman, aged 45, who was arrested by the General Operations Force at a shrimp pond area at Sungai Nipah, Simpang Lima, was tested positive for Covid-19. Also arrested were 12 Indonesian men and 12 Indonesian women aged 21 to 45, and 2 Bangladeshi men, aged 24 and 26. It was believed that they sneaked into the country by boat (Source: Seorang PATI dicekup PGA positif Covid-19).

Case 7 (19 September 2020)

A human trafficking agent and 5 illegal Thai nationals (1 man and 4 women), aged 19 to 44, was arrested by the General Operations Force at Salor, Kota Bharu. When asked to stop, the four-wheel drive sped off but were nabbed after a 17km car chase from Pangkalan Haram Jitong. According to Superintendent Azhari Nusi, the agent has been ordered to drive the illegal immigrants to Kota Bharu (Source: Tekong darat, lima PATI ditahan).

Case 8 (18 September 2020)    
4 illegal immigrants from Cambodia who sneaked into the country were on their way to Kota Bharu to work were when they were arrested by the General Operations Force near Pangkalan Haram Kampung Kebun, Pangkalan Kubor. A 65-year-old local man, who was driving them to their destination in his Proton Saga at a fee of RM100 per person, was also arrested (Source: Tekong, empat PATI warga Kemboja dicekup). 

Case 9 (17 September 2020)    
77 illegal Indonesians (53 men and 18 women aged 17 to 58, 2 children aged 1 and 3, a skipper and 3 crew) were arrested near Pulau Ketam while they were sneaking into the country by boat. Three of them tried to jump out of the boat but were caught. The boat was sailing from Tanjung Balai, Indonesia, to Port Klang (Source: 77 pendatang asing termasuk tekong, kru bot ditahan cuba menyusup masuk).

Case 10 (13 September 2020)   
20 illegal immigrants from Indonesia (13 men and 7 women, aged 24 to 40) were arrested by the General Operations Force at Sungai Nipah, Kampung Sungai Haji Dorani at Sungai Besar not long after they arrived by boat (Source: 20 PATI baru 'mendarat' dicekup).

Case 11 (9 September 2020)

The Malaysian Army arrested 13 illegal immigrants (8 men and 5 women, aged 20 to 54 years old) at Bandar Penawar, Kota Tinggi, who have been abandoned by their skipper and did not know how to swim ashore (Tekong 'cabut', PATI ditangkap). 

Case 12 (30 August 2020)   

13 Indonesian illegal immigrants (5 men, 5 women, and 3 boys, aged 7 to 58) who sneaked into Tawau early in the morning were arrested by the Marine Police Force at Kampung Hidayat Batu 4. At the time they were found, they were hiding on the potato farm - an illegal immigrant transit den (Source: Helah PATI tidak berjaya).

 

Case 13 (28 August 2020)   
11 Indonesian illegal immigrants (8 men, 2 women, and one child, aged 2 to 45) were hiding in a banana plantation at Kampung Tawau Lama when they were arrested by the Marine Police Force at 5.30 am. They sneaked into the plantation via Tawau sea border and were waiting for transport to go to their destinations. One of them had a passport but the other 10 did not have any documents (Source: PATI warga Indonesia sembunyi di kebun pisang ditahan).

Case 14 (24 August 2020)    
The Marine Operations Force arrested a 45-year-old illegal Indonesian man at a palm oil farm in Kampung Tinagat, Tawau, believed to be an illegal immigrant transit den, at midnight. However, the other illegals managed to escape into the nearby forest. A few hours later, 6 illegals (2 men and 3 women, aged 20-57, and a four-year-old child) were arrested at Jalan Batu Puyung while a 28-year-old local man was driving them to their destinations. All the illegals were undocumented and believed to have entered the country via Rat Lanes (Source: Penduduk tempatan jadi dalang seludup PATI). 

Case 15 (22 August 2020)    
A local woman, aged 33, was arrested at a roadblock for smuggling 3 undocumented Bangladeshi men (aged 30-36) from Kuala Lumpur to Keteri, Perlis, at a fee of RM450 (Source: Wanita tempatan jadi tekong darat). 

Case 16 (10 August 2020)    
A local man and 9 Thai men who sneaked into the country via Rat Lanes were arrested by the General Operations Force at Jalan Kampung Bagus, Rantau Panjang. At the time they were arrested, the local man was driving the Thai nationals to Selayang to work in his Toyota Alphard. The local man admitted that he was paid RM350 for each illegal immigrant and thus a total of RM3150 for this trip (Source: Tekong darat raih habuan RM350 bagi seorang PATI).

Case 17 (6 August 2020)

2 local men, human trafficking agents believed to be under the influence of drugs, and 6 illegals from Myanmar (2 men and 4 women), were arrested by the General Operations Force at Kampung Tok Bilal, Panyit, Machang. According to Superintendent Nor Azizan Yusof, they tried to flee and sped away in their Mitsubishi Pajero when the officers ordered them to stop at Kampung Bukit Tandak, Rantau Panjang. However, they were arrested after police car chase. The Myanmar nationals, believed to have sneaked into the country via Pangkalan Haram Sungai Golok, did not have any documents (Source: Cubaan seludup PATI gagal).

Case 18 (1 August 2020)   

4 Indonesian women (aged 27 to 37) were arrested by the General Operations Force at a palm oil farm at Taman Kenari, Sungai Sembilang, in Kuala Selangor for sneaking into the country illegally. They arrived here by boat and disembarked on Jeram Beach (Source: 'Kami mendarat di pantai Jeram' - PATI Indonesia). 

Can anyone imagine what will happen if all the illegal immigrants mentioned above manage to sneak into Malaysia bringing the coronavirus with them? OMG! Luckily they were arrested instead of moving around freely inside our country and transmitting Covid-19. Gone are the days when foreigners could come and go whenever they liked. Thanks to our Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, and our Minister of Defence, Dato' Sri Ismail Sabri bin Yaakob, for their continuing efforts to stop illegal immigration. 

Transmitting Covid-19 to another person is a serious crime particularly during the coronavirus pamdemic and it's time for heavier punishment to stem illegal immigration. In Singapore, the punishment for illegal immigrants and their agents are mandatory caning (not less than 3 strokes) and imprisonment. Perhaps, Malaysia should do the same too so that the illegals will not play 'hide-and-seek' with us again. Giving the illegals a free ride home is a waste of time and money as the deported illegals will sneak back to Malaysia again and again. Drastic action must be taken so that they will think twice before sneaking into the country. 

You may also like to read Should the illegal entry of the Rohingyas into Malaysia be encouraged? and The Rohingya Issue: Justice for Malaysia and Bangladesh. To view the content page of this blog, please click here.

The Rohingya Issue: Justice for Malaysia and Bangladesh

More than 260 Rohingya refugees arrived in Malaysia by boat on 8 June 2020 

(Source: Friends of Immigration Facebook)

Many years ago, my aunt used to tell the whole world that my uncle (her brother) did not care for his aging father. She also kept telling me that she was a very filial daughter as she always bought lots of her father's favorite foods for him each time she visited him. In my heart, I was saying, "If you feel that uncle does not care for grandfather, why don't you let grandfather stay with you?" When my mom asked her this question, she started giving all sorts of lame excuses for herself. I used to visit my uncle during the school holidays and I would not deny the fact that he has done his best to look after his father even though he was a poor man. Since there were only two rooms in his flat, he had no choice but to let his father sleep in the living room. However, my grandfather has never gone hungry and my uncle's wife always ensured that he took his bath and changed his clothes. 

Why am I telling this story? Because there are many criticisms of Malaysia and Bangladesh for not doing enough to help the Rohingya refugees from people who are doing nothing to help them and these people keep reminding me of my aunt. Recently, there have been many online articles about Rohingya boats being turned away as though it was Malaysia's fault and written in such a way that Malaysia was to be blamed for those who perished at sea. But what about the half a million Rohingya refugees living in Malaysia now? As of July 2020, there are 177,920 Rohingyas registered with UNHCR in Malaysia and it is estimated that the undocumented Rohingyas are twice this number. Given the the large population of Rohingyas working and residing in Malaysia, is it fair to condemn Malaysia for turning away Rohingya boats that tried to sneak into the country illegally in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic? Surely, Malaysia has done more than enough for them all these years. How many countries in this world can accept so many Rohingya refugees? The answer is - only Malaysia and Bangladesh. However, even Bangladesh is criticized for its overcrowded refugee camps just because it is kind enough to give the Rohingyas a place they can call home at the expense of its tourism industry. 

I do not start this blog to write about the Rohingyas as I am not interested to know what they have been doing in Malaysia even though I know that they have been sneaking into the country illegally for years. It seems that everything has been going well for them all these years as they have no problem sneaking into Malaysia by sea, via Thailand, and through the Rat Lanes after disembarking in Indonesia. Once they have arrived in Malaysia, they could easily join the locals, find a job and start a new life. Many of them have started their own business and are living comfortably even though they do not have any documents. The clever ones would marry any grandmother or great-grandmother who comes along in order to get their PR. Prior to the Movement Control Order (MCO), there was no issue about the Rohingyas being left to die at sea because Malaysia was kind enough to allow all the Rohingya boats to disembark. However, since the MCO, the issue about the Rohingyas being left to die at sea keeps recurring so frequently that I am really tired of reading this kind of articles online. That is why I am writing this article today - to seek justice for Malaysia and Bangladesh. 

So what is the problem with the Rohingyas now? They have nowhere to go because Malaysia cannot afford to take any more Rohingya refugees due to the novel coronavirus pandemic and a struggling economy. Because of this, Malaysia is criticised for sending them back to sea. Why only Malaysia? Why not Singapore, Thailand, Philippines, Brunei, Indonesia, China, Australia, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Korea or Japan? Since Malaysia is already saturated with the Rohingya refugees, perhaps it's time the other countries do their part to help them. In a way, those who criticize Malaysia for turning the Rohingya boats away are also encouraging the illegal smuggling of refugees thus putting their lives at risk. Anyone in their right senses would not encourage the ruthless human traffickers who completely disregard human life to prey on the Rohingyas and smuggle them from Bangladesh and Myanmar into Malaysia for monetary gain. How many of them would perish at sea during the journey? What would happen if their boats capsize? Blame Malaysia again? By turning their boats away, Malaysia is sending a message to the Rohingyas that they are not welcome here and they would not risk their lives to come here again knowing that they would be rejected. Malaysia did the right thing by giving them a very clear warning that no more Rohingya boats would be allowed to disembark. 

On 25 June 2020, when 100 Rohingya refugees were rescued by Indonesian fisherman in Aceh, and again on 7 September 2020, when nearly 300 Rohingya came ashore in Aceh, the Indonesian community was praised for rescuing them. What about Malaysia who has been taking in countless Rohingya refugees throughout the years? I am sure Malaysia also deserves to be praised too. Let us praise Malaysia for its generosity, compassion, and kindness for allowing half a million Rohingyas to make their homes in this country. Malaysia has already done a lot for the Rohingyas and it is unfair to force it to take in all the Rohingyas from the refugee camps in Bangladesh. Why did I say 'all the refugees'? Moving around freely in Malaysia is certainly better than living in the refugees camps in Bangladesh! It should be noted that once Malaysia has given the green light, not only the Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh but also those from Myanmar would rush to Malaysia because it is their favored destination - a safe haven for Rohingyas. The Indonesian authorities need not worry about the Rohingya refugees in Aceh because they will try to sneak into Malaysia. Even their own people are sneaking into Malaysia almost every day and the Rohingyas can easily join them. According to Chris Lewa of the Arakan Project, although the Rohingyas were grateful to Indonesia for saving their lives, they did not intend to stay there. When he visited them a few days after they were rescued from the sea, they were already inquiring how they could get to Malaysia. (Please read Rohingya refugees vanish from Indonesia). Similarly, the Rohingyas would not stay long in Thailand even if they manage to get there as their ultimate destination is Malaysia. Thus, as the Rohingya boats keep sailing to Southeast Asia, Malaysia is their only victim and if they are encouraged to do so and Malaysia is forced to accept them, the entire Cox's Bazar as well as the refugee camps in Myanmar would be moved to Malaysia in no time. Is this fair for Malaysia? 

As what Confucius says, "Act with kindness but do not expect gratitude" but to repay kindness with evil is a gross injustice. How do the Rohingyas repay Malaysia's kindness? Do not be deceived by Rohingya women who arrive in Malaysia crying with a baby on their arm as they can easily turn into the masterminds of robbery gangs. Earlier this month, a Rohingya woman, Norjahan, and her accomplices, known as the blue Alza robbery gang, were arrested by the police for being involved in a series of robberies and burglaries. Among the crimes committed by the Rohingyas in Malaysia include Three ethnic Rohingya arrested for housebreaking; Seven Myanmar Nationals nabbed in Kuantan for house break-in cases; Cops arrest two Rohingya men over house break-ins in Kulai; Cops arrest five UNHCR cardholders suspected of being involved in house break-ins in Ampang; Five Rohingyas detained in connection with multi-state crime spree; Cops nab Myanmar man, woman over Grab driver’s murder; Rohingya woman stabbed to death by her husband; Rohingya teen charged with murdering step-daughter; and Rohingya man charged with raping underage girl. It seems that the Rohingyas are very professional at house break-ins, rape, and murder. If they could kill 99 Hindu villagers in Rakhine State in one or two massacres, murdering a Grab driver is nothing at all. But what can we expect from people who can even murder their own family members?  Crimes in the Rohingya camps in Cox's Bazar are rampant and, needless to say, bringing the Rohingyas here would also mean bringing their crimes into this country. 

Norjahan, the mastermind of blue Alza robbery gang 

(Source: Jabatan Imigresen Malaysia)

According to many online articles, the Rohingyas are the most persecuted minority in the world but is that the entire truth? What did they do in Myanmar before they fled to Bangladesh? Do you know that this most persecuted minority actually burned down a monastery, a school, 37 houses and decapitated all the Buddha statues in the village of Nantthataung? Please also read Myanmar Rohingya militants massacred Hindus, says Amnesty; At least 71 killed in Myanmar as Rohingya insurgents stage major attack; and Rohingya insurgents attack police in western Myanmar, wounding six: state TV. What are they doing in Cox's Bazar's refugee camps now? Please read some of their latest cases dated this year @ Refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar: Rohingyas tangled up in crimes; Killing of Rohingya robbers sparks concerns in Bangladesh; Bangladeshi Forces Gun Down 8 Rohingya Criminal Suspects near Refugee Camps; and Several killed in 'gang war' at Rohingya camps in Bangladesh. To understand more about the Rohingyas, please read Facts that the world needs to know about Rohingya.

Needless to say, hosting more than 1 million Rohingya refugees in Cox's Bazar is a dangerous task for Bangladesh. Cox's Bazar, well-known for its beautiful beaches and coastal town, is one of the most visited tourist destinations in Bangladesh. However, the Rohingyas, with their crimes of stealing, robbery, extortion, drug trafficking, human trafficking, rape, and murder have caused a decline in the revenue of its tourism industry. But what is even worse is that Bangladesh is often criticised for its overcrowded refugee camps and landslides that put the lives of the Rohingyas at risk. It should be noted that Bangladesh is not a rich country as jobs are scarce and millions of Bangladeshis have come to Malaysia to work. Poverty and homelessness are prevalent and many Bangladeshis are living in mud houses and slums.  Given such circumstances, one cannot deny the fact that the Bangladesh Government has been extremely generous to the Rohingyas and has done its best to accommodate them. The refugees camps are overcrowded because the Rohingyas are breeding too fast despite the unfavorable circumstances that they are in and it is unfair to blame Bangladesh for that. 

To reduce overcrowding in Cox's Bazar's refugee camps, Bangladesh has spent US$280 million to build quality houses, shops, schools, hospitals, mosques, roads, playgrounds, and protection embankments on Bhasan Char Island so that the Rohingyas can live more comfortably. Given the fact that 5 million Bangladeshis are homeless and three quarters of its population live in mud houses, US$280 million is a lot of money to spend on the Rohingyas. However, Bangladesh's plans to relocate 100,000 Rohingya refugees to the modern township on Bhasan Char is again criticized because it is a floating silt island. But what about the famous floating silt island, Koh Panyee, in Phang Nga Bay, Thailand? Its residents have no problems living there and they are also very proud of this beautiful tourist destination. The floating football field built by the children of this island who later became successful football players is clearly a reminder that "nothing is impossible to a willing heart" (John Heywood). If so many families can live happily on this floating silt island in Thailand, how come the Rohingyas cannot move to Bhasan Char? Is it because of their drug smuggling business? The relocation of Rohingya refugees to Bhasan Char would mean that they cannot smuggle drugs into Bangladesh anymore. Perhaps those who criticize Bangladesh for its overcrowded refugee camps and floating silt Bhasan Char Island should consider sending planes to Bangladesh to fetch the Rohingyas and take them to their own country. And don't forget to send some planes to Malaysia too as there are nearly half a million Rohingya refugees residing here! 

Forcing Malaysia to accept all Rohingya boats and forcing Bangladesh to make the refugee camps more comfortable for the Rohingyas cannot solve the refugee problems. Malaysia and Bangladesh are not affluent countries and it is a great injustice to put the burden of Rohingya refugees on them. The Rohingya problem is not solely the problem of Malaysia and Bangladesh. Taking in the Rohingyas out of kindness and sympathy does not mean that they have assumed responsibility for the livelihood of these refugees. The burden of Rohingya refugees should be shared by the whole world. If every country in this world could take in 10,000 Rohingya refugees, then there shouldn't be any problems at all. If traveling by sea is too dangerous for the Rohingyas, then sending a plane to fetch them is the best solution! Malaysia and Bangladesh have done their part and now it is the turn of the other countries to help the Rohingyas. How long are they going to remain in the refugee camps in Bangladesh? How long are they going to stay in Malaysia and for how many generations? Looks like they are not going anywhere because it seems that no one wants them. If the Rohingyas really have nowhere to go, the best thing for them to do is to return to Myanmar since Myanmar is ready to accept them. Perhaps Malaysia should consider placing all the Rohingya refugees in camps just like what Bangladesh is doing - this is one way to stop them from sneaking into this country. 

You may also like to read There Is Gold Everywhere in Malaysia, Should the illegal entry of the Rohingyas into Malaysia be encouraged? and ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS A HUGE THREAT TO MALAYSIA'S CORONAVIRUS WAR. To view the content page of this blog, please click here.