LETTER | Sympathy and animosity cloud the Rohingya predicament

LETTER | The reported problems associated with the 100,000 Rohingya refugees in Malaysia is edging on a dangerous tilt.

In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, with job losses, pay cuts and bankruptcies are threatening to tear the stability of Malaysians, the rising animosity and defending sympathies towards the tens of thousands of Rohingyas who are continuously landing on our shores is understandable.

Here are some salient thoughts to be debated.

If Malaysia is an extremely rich nation with healthy reserves - like neighbouring Singapore - the onus to provide safe haven to victimised humans makes good sense.

But when we hardly have even food reserves to last over six months in times of crises like Covid-19, playing the role of a good samaritan will be at a high price.

Can Malaysia afford it?

To drive the refugees away in mid-sea is cruel.

But if you cannot afford to provide beyond bare minimum food, shelter, safety, and care to an unstoppable stream of inbound refugees, is that too not cruel?

Just six weeks into the movement control order (MCO) and some enforced MCOs, we are already seeing employers giving pay cuts, seeking out severe cost-cutting measures and demanding succour from the government or very likely opting for permanent shutdowns of businesses.

Just two weeks into that restricted movement, there was punishing poverty rising that called for emergency food ration handouts to a growing B40 Malaysian citizenry.

And so how do you justify taking in refugees by the tens of thousands?

And lest we bury our heads in the sand, do also remember the millions of illegal migrant workers - from so many countries, who are increasingly finding themselves without jobs.

Indeed we are caught in a dangerous web of wrongdoings these past decades that these now have grown into ugly looming threats as the precarious global health crisis continues to ravage nations including Malaysia.

What will our politicians and concerned NGOs do if the uncertain and perilous geopolitical times cause an avalanche of refugees to leave more countries in the neighbourhood and flee to Malaysia?

We already have some four to six million illegals and another two to three million documented foreign workers to feed, house, clothe and care for besides keeping them gainfully and happily employed. Please do not forget.

We may sound like a successful, rich country with flowing milk and honey.

But the fact is, tens of thousands if not millions of Malaysians are already struggling with rentals, mortgages, job losses and insecurities, as well as uncontrollably rising food bills while the government is saddled with huge borrowings and a threatening oil crisis.

While the new government may claim that it is saddled with an old problem, meanwhile sympathy and animosity are growing. At some point, these will collide at a mega scale. 

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.

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