If we were to give refugees the right to work, it would be a boost for our economy and curb human traffickers and extremist groups, says the Migrant Workers Right to Redress Coalition.
We welcome the human resources minister’s statement that a positive announcement with regard to employment for refugees can be expected soon.
We hope this really does happen. There are many compelling reasons in favour of providing a legal and administrative framework for refugees in Malaysia.
The economic benefits this will bring to the country are well documented. A recent parliamentary briefing also highlighted the advantages. And further reasons for providing such a framework include that it will hugely help in our fight against terrorism, human trafficking and modern-day slavery.
Human traffickers are happiest when they are able to prey upon people who are most vulnerable and unprotected. The refugee community in refugee camps over the world are obvious recruiting grounds for traffickers of human beings.
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Further, people fleeing from horrific situations, as from Myanmar, are easy prey for human traffickers. We all recollect with shame the horrors of the Wang Kelian death camps on our border with Thailand, where thousands of refugees and migrants were held, violated, tortured, ransomed, trafficked and many murdered.
And arriving in Malaysia with no protection and no rights continues to encourage human traffickers to prey on the women, men and teenagers who are struggling to find a life away from the genocide they are fleeing.
Human trafficking is also closely linked to modern-day slavery. By making refugees in Malaysia work ‘illegally’ (refugees here have no rights or protection, including at work), we are just exposing women and men to the strong possibility not just of abduction and being sold by traffickers but systematic exploitation and abuse by unscrupulous employers and/or agents.
This is again because they have no protection or options, and yet of course have to find ‘illegal’ work in order to survive. By not providing any protection, we are actually institutionalising this situation and allowing a whole population in our country to be vulnerable to human trafficking and modern-day slavery. This is clearly not ideal.
It is not ideal also because this situation is also a happy one for recruiters for extremist and terrorist organisations. Where people have little hope and no certainty of future, where they feel abandoned and ignored, where every day they are worried about being extorted or harassed or detained, the lure to join a group that offers an easy identity and purpose in life is clearly tempting.
Especially in a world where there is ever more craziness and extremism and where champions of extremist groups are seriously active in countries across our region, we need to do everything we can to ensure people are supported, protected and given an opportunity to live a secure and happy life that would give little encouragement to extremist propagators.
Continuing to allow the refugee population here to live in a limbo land – where they are forced to live day to day, barely surviving, without any legal status, and yet having somehow to survive – does not seem the right way. Human traffickers flourish, modern-day slavery flourishes, and the recruiters for terrorism and extremism flourish.
We can immediately make a huge difference to this. For example, if the minister’s statement is anything to go by and we honour Promise 35 in Buku Harapan of the present government – to give rights and protection for work for refugees – this would be a huge win-win for everyone. It would be a boost for our economy, and it would provide an instant and significant response to the activities of human traffickers, extremist and terrorist groups and modern-day slavers.
We remain hopeful that this will happen.
The Migrant Workers Right to Redress Coalition is a coalition of NGOS and other groups lobbying for a comprehensive policy for labour migration in Malaysia.
AGENDA RAKYAT - Lima perkara utama
- Tegakkan maruah serta kualiti kehidupan rakyat
- Galakkan pembangunan saksama, lestari serta tangani krisis alam sekitar
- Raikan kerencaman dan keterangkuman
- Selamatkan demokrasi dan angkatkan keluhuran undang-undang
- Lawan rasuah dan kronisme
Teenagers have been found dragging away wounded Taliban, collecting dropped weapons and even fighting. Afghan authorities say they have arrested up to 250 children over the past 10 years for such activities.
The disturbing regional twist is the increasing number of child suicide bombers. Children are recruited simply for being children.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-27250144
https://www.thevibes.com/articles/news/39921/taliban-thanks-pas-for-well-wishes-calls-human-rights-accusations-propaganda
Many have died tragically in the hands of the venomous terror network, Al-Qaeda/Qaida and related organizations such Islamic State, JI, KMM etc.
A highly dangerous Guantanamo Bay (GITMO) Malaysian detainee [allegedly] was in the Malaysian military (army) for 1.5 years and [allegedly] received training in the M-16 and Austrian Styer and he has a hometown in muar, johor. He’s [allegedly] an Al-Qaeda-Qaida operative, member of JI [etc]
In fact, in the Analyst Note, JI is [alleged] to be closely involved in providing support and military training to members of [a Malaysian political party].
That GITMO detainee is Bashir Lap or Nazir Lep.
President-Elect Joseph Biden Is Not BLIND!
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/projects/guantanamo/detainees/10022-lillie-mohammed-nazir-bin-lep-