BLAMING Chinese nationals for the 2019 novel coronavirus outbreak smacks of racism, said Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister James Masing.

The outspoken politician questioned whether the world blamed Africans for spreading HIV or Ebola when the deadly diseases were traced to Africa.

Masing’s outburst comes as social media is abuzz over photos of Chinese folk eating exotic food like bat soup and live rats, suggesting that their penchant for such fare is to blame for the coronavirus outbreak that has killed close to 500 people in the country.

The wildlife section of a seafood market in Wuhan in Hubei province is believed to be the source of the outbreak.

“We did not hear (of) Africans (being) humiliated because of HIV,” said Masing.

Neither were Mexicans blamed when H1N1, swine flu and influenza A were found to have originated in their country, nor Saudis during the Middle East respiratory syndrome outbreak, or Italians over the severe acute respiratory syndrome crisis in 2003, he added.

“Please do not label the coronavirus as Chinese, because a virus knows no place and race.

“It is sad to see the world today divided when we should be united in facing the epidemic.

“Instead of being sympathetic, the world has decided to prosecute a race and turn their backs on our own humankind, based on their skin colour.”

While every country is trying its best to protect its citizens and contain the spread of any disease, he said, “the world should try to understand that China has demonstrated great courage in doing all it can to contain the virus from spreading to other countries”.

“Clamping down on all travel from the infected cities, with their very own citizens living in terror, is never an easy thing to do for any country.”

Masing said for the level of commitment Beijing has shown and the nightmare China is living in today, “let us all lend them our moral support from across the oceans”.

While there is no known coronavirus infection in Sarawak to date, the state has banned the entry of all foreigners, irrespective of their nationality, who have been to China in the past 14 days.

Malaysians who are not Sarawakians and have been to China in the last two weeks face a similar ban.

The state disaster management committee has said these travellers “are strongly advised not to visit Sarawak” until their 14-day home quarantine is completed and they are confirmed to not be infected. – February 5, 2020.