Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin should stop blaming the floods and landslides on the foreign workers as it is ‘xenophobic’, workers’ rights NGO Tenaganita and Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) said today.

“Muhyiddin Yassin’s  ( right ) statement on Nov 9, lashing out at foreign workers who “encroached” on land and caused the muddy floods and landslides in Cameron Highlands last Wednesday is ill-conceived, xenophobic, illogical and completely misses the root cause of the problem,” Tenaganita director Aegile Fernandez said.

By blaming the foreign workers, Aegile said, Muhyiddin and the government were deflecting from the real problem, which has been land clearing over the past 10 years.

Tenaganita, which went on a fact-finding mission to Camerons on Nov 15 and 16, said it estimates that some 1,500 foreigners, including permanent residents (PR) and students, had been arrested after the disaster.

“Why should migrant workers, permanent residents and foreign students who hold legitimate documents be arrested?

“It was also learnt that migrants holding PR status and those married to local Malaysians had their premises used as temporary holding centres during the raids, causing them not just business losses but also humiliation,” Aegile ( left ) told in a press conference today.

Tenaganita also revealed that a Bangladeshi national, Leaket Ali, died of illness while in custody on Nov 7.

Aegile said Leaket was a documented migrant arrested in Ringlet. His employer had sought his release after he was detained for 24 hours but was turned down.

Leaket initially not given medical aid

Leaket supposedly fell ill on his third day in custody, but was initially not given medical treatment until his condition got worse. He succumbed to his illness in his cell that night.

Aegile called for an independent investigation into Leaket’s death and into the other human rights violations perpetrated by the authorities in the crackdown on foreign workers and refugees following the Cameron Highlands landslide.

Meanwhile, PSM central committee member Rani Rasiah ( left ) called on the government to reassess its policy on migrant workers.

“The government needs to review the migrant worker policy. The government has failed to honour the rights of workers, which have contributed to the illegality of migrant workers,” Rani said.

She added that the government was also ignoring the plight of migrant workers and was being “unrealistic” about the migrant worker issues.

“What we feel is that the government takes in millions of workers but fails to take account of labour disputes,” Rani said.

A deadly mud flood struck Bertam Valley and Ringlet in Cameron Highlands in the wee hours of Nov 5 and claimed five lives.

The floods were said to be caused by overdevelopment of lands as tourist spots and extensive illegal land clearings for farming.

KAMLES KUMAR is a trainee reporter with Malaysiakini .