The Rohingya that some Malaysians fear — Mustafa K Anuar

JUNE 17 — The recent revelation by Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Khalid Ismail helped to cut through the fog of disinformation and rumours that have swept across the country, especially on social media, regarding the Rohingya refugees.

In particular, the IGP said that criminal cases involving the Rohingya between 2024 and this year were 89, which is 0.02 per cent of all the crimes recorded nationwide.

It is hoped that this crucial data would help to some extent reduce the unrestrained fear that the Rohingya community has become an increasing threat to public safety, if not national security.

At the heart of this anxiety is the unjust tarring of the Rohingya community with the same brush. Of course, the bad apples in the community must be brought to justice in accordance with our laws.

If the misconduct of a few indeed represents a particular community, then every Malay(sian) is culpable when their political leaders are caught for stealing a humongous amount of public funds.

That would be collective guilt imposed on them. Let that sink in.

The IGP also revealed that between 7,000 and 8,000 Rohingya refugees were previously resettled to third countries each year, rightly indicating that their stay here isn’t meant to be permanent.

However, owing to constraints faced by the countries concerned, the resettlement process had frozen. The waiting period has, therefore, been prolonged.

In the meantime, the people who had fled their homeland in Myanmar to escape from persecution, harassment, slaughter and other atrocities are now facing a surge of hate speech from some Malaysians, a few of whom had also resorted to vigilantism.

An online petition, which has since been taken down, called for the removal of the Rohingya from this country, a sentiment that was driven by the unfounded claim that they were seeking citizenship or special rights.

The accompanying language spewed by these angry Malaysians was unmistakably vile and hurtful to the Rohingya, who already had lost their safety and suffered in their homeland.

It would be baffling for some to see that Malaysians, who had generally shown compassion and humanity towards the besieged and persecuted Palestinians, now seem to have lost the ability to understand and empathise with the plight of the Rohingya.

There was a video clip on social media showing a man, supposedly Malaysian, taunting a child that was claimed to be Rohingya.

If this clip was meant to be a joke, it’s distasteful. If it’s aimed to incite further harassment, that’s vicious and dangerous.

Public expressions from certain government officials and politicians regarding the Rohingya were not helpful either.

For instance, an official reportedly warned Malaysians to keep an eye on the Rohingya, which would go a long way towards stoking suspicion, distrust and xenophobia.

To be clear, the dehumanisation of the Rohingya in various ways does not place the Malaysians concerned on a moral high ground. It only reflects badly on the latter.

Certain leaders of the Rohingya community had acknowledged the concerns harboured by Malaysians, such as cleanliness, public safety, housing and business competition.

There’s also the worry, particularly expressed online, among the locals that the Rohingya’s presence has become a burden on infrastructure and social services.

But these issues should not be made an excuse for intimidation, verbal and physical harassment and even a threat to the life of the Rohingya.

There should be civil engagement in the attempt to seek amicable solutions to problems confronting both the locals and the Rohingya. The government can play a useful role in this context, if it hasn’t already.

Challenges are bound to emerge from time to time, especially with a long stay in Malaysia.

There will be a need for the Rohingya to have the basic necessities of life, such as healthcare, education, housing and a means of living.

Meeting such needs is not only meant for survival. It is also to protect human dignity.

Like any child, a Rohingya deserves an early education to prepare her for later life, especially when she resettles in a third country. Denying her basic education is to steal her future.

That’s why disrupting their learning centres is inhumane. They’re probably run on low budgets and staffed by concerned volunteers who are likely paid low wages, if at all.

Similarly, healthcare is vital to the Rohingya, and yet the price for treatment in government hospitals is said to be beyond the reach of many Rohingya, especially the poor.

Putting food on the table makes it necessary for the Rohingya to seek work. But being undocumented makes them vulnerable, exposed to exploitation and even bullying.

That is why the recent proposal by Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development Minister Steven Sim to absorb eligible Rohingya into the legal workforce should be addressed. There are also jobs locals tend to shun.

He rightly argued that giving the Rohingya legal access to work could improve their livelihoods as well as reduce social problems.

Incidentally, why bring in migrant workers when there’s a ready pool of people who are willing to work?

The government needs to set up a legal framework for the purpose of helping these people, who have lost everything, to rebuild their lives while in transit.

The Rohingya issue should not bring out the devil in us.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.