Treat migrant workers with humanity, don’t denigrate - Shahril

One would not be less of a Malay, Malaysian, or even Muslim by treating migrant workers with humanity, said former Umno leader Shahril Hamdan.

Speaking on the “Keluar Sekejap” podcast yesterday, he urged locals to treat migrant workers with humanity instead of denigrating them.

“Some of our viewers have extreme nationalistic views. I feel sad seeing the way Malays talk about Bangladeshis, Pakistanis, and Rohingyas - who are refugees.

“They speak of the migrants as if they are not equal to us,” he lamented.

Shahril and podcast co-host Khairy Jamaluddin were speaking about migrant workers, the problems they face in Malaysia, and the country’s dependence on them.

Shahril said among the negative remarks thrown at migrant workers include them being “not nice” and “difficult”.

On Dec 25, Immigration Department officers detained 171 migrant workers from Bangladesh who recently attempted to lodge a police report against their agent.

Kota Tinggi district police chief Hussin Zamora reportedly said they were legally brought into Malaysia but their agent has yet to provide them with work after three months.

“So, the Bangladeshi nationals decided to walk to the Bayu Damai police station, about 10km away from their accommodation, to lodge a police report on Dec 20,” he was reported as saying.

A day later, the Human Resources Ministry stepped in and said a probe would be conducted on the matter.

“We will not hesitate to take stern action against those found guilty,” its minister Steven Sim reportedly said.

Humanitarian approach

On Jan 16, in a joint presser with Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, Sim warned employers who bring migrant workers into the country to pay their employees, even when they are not given any work.

“Employees are entitled to their salary, even when they are not given any work.

“This will be our policy on the way forward. The Human Resources Ministry considers that any worker that is brought into Malaysia must be paid, regardless of whether the worker did any job or not,” Sim said.

Shahril, in addressing the plight of migrant workers in Malaysia, reminded the people that migrants did not choose to be born into countries where conflict is rife or where economic opportunities are scarce, saying it was fate.

“(Such talk) is against our religion. I urge all of us to take a humanitarian approach when dealing with migrants.

“If we must go overboard on something, let’s veer towards humanity, not the path where we deal with fellow human beings in the wrong way,” he added.

Teresa urges govt to form RCI on migrant workers, forced labour

Bar: Labour Dept must step up significantly to aid stranded migrants

HR ministry lodges police report against employer in quota fraud scandal

Pay migrant workers you bring in or get punished, minister tells companies

More jobless migrants make their way from Pengerang to embassy in KL