The NGO Penang Stop Human Trafficking (PHST) has called on Malaysians to pressure their elected representatives into amending labour laws and granting refugees the right to seek employment.

During his speech at Hikayat's 'Human Flow' event in George Town yesterday, PSHT representative James Lochhead pointed out that Malaysia's history is built on migration, and its economy highly dependent on migrant labour.

"So when migrants and refugees come, why not give them their due respect? Why can't we let people stay? Why say they steal our jobs? It doesn't make sense," he told a crowd of about 60.

"People are worried about foreigners, but all of us were once foreigners, as it is in the whole world, so we are asking specifically for a change of law and attitude. It would be a win-win situation."

According to Lochhead, Malaysia has a ready-made workforce of migrants and refugees, but so far, they have zero protection under labour laws when mishaps or accidents occur.

"They are dying in landslides while working on dangerous construction sites and injured, limbs chopped off by heavy machinery, it's all happening.

"So what we are asking is for the authorities to regularise their employment, and provide them the same protection as they do our local workers," he explained.

"Why do they set up stalls? Because they have no work. So besides feeding themselves and their families, the right to employment keeps them away from modern-day slavery, from human trafficking, child marriage, abuse and violence," he stressed.

"Malaysia is tearing itself apart when it comes to the human trafficking situation."

Malaysia is presently on the Tier 2 Watchlist of the US State Department’s Trafficking in Persons report for 2018, which has prompted Human Resources Minister M Kulasegaran to "declare war" on perpetrators of the crime.

Today's event, which was organised by Focus@ Hikayat and supported by UNHCR, Gerakbudaya and PSHT, saw poetry, photographs, talks, films and books being presented by several prominent activists.

Hosted by Hikayat founders Bettina Chua Abdullah and Gareth Richards (photo), the event also saw human rights lawyer Cecil Rajendra read out his poems about refugees, which was prompted by a minister's remark to "shoot the boat people on sight" in the 1970s.

Veteran activist Anwar Fazal, meanwhile, spoke passionately about efforts to raise awareness on the lives of migrants during his session dubbed "Our first manifesto."

Anwar, formerly of UNDP, pointed out that the International Day of Migrants observed on Dec 18 every year, was conceived in Malaysia. 

At the time, Anwar worked together with his Filipino comrades in the UN, UNCHR, International Organisation on Migration, and International Labour Organisation to celebrate the first Day of Migrants.

"We learned then that migrants are a resource, they deserve dignity and justice, they need empowerment, assistance from advocacy groups, and networking is important for all of us, in order for us to grow, we need new allies, activities and new kind of strategies," he recalled.

Meanwhile, photojournalist SC Shekar displayed his "The Rohingya of Arakan" series, which documents his adventures in Myanmar, while United Nations Relief and Works Agency Southeast Asia focal person Hartini Zainuddin showcased the agency's work for Palestine.

 

Tenaganita wants gov't to protect rights of Chin refugees

Tenaganita wants gov't to protect rights of Chin refugees

Migrant workers are not expendable units of production

Migrant workers are not expendable units of production

Transparency in the legislative process is to be expected

Transparency in the legislative process is to be expected

Make proposed amendments public, Kula told

Make proposed amendments public, Kula told