THE recent statement by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin that the Covid-19 outbreak in Sabah was caused by undocumented migrants is of grave concern to the public, as it could further harden the already pervasive xenophobic sentiments of Malaysians since the pandemic started early this year.

While it is understandable that the statement was made to assuage the fear of a rapid spread of Covid-19 and to assure the people that the situation was under control, singling out undocumented migrants and holding them responsible for the spike in Covid-19 cases nevertheless obscure the failure of the authorities to contain the virus. Moreover, we have witnessed the virulent anti-immigrant sentiment at the height of the crisis in April and May, when xenophobic and racist rhetoric permeated cyberspace and the mainstream media, with the Rohingya community and migrant workers of various nationalities taking the brunt of public anger at a time when their position had become even more vulnerable due to job losses and lack of social support.

At the outset of the pandemic, Agora Society has argued that instead of arresting them en masse, the government should grant amnesty to all undocumented migrants and encourage those with symptoms to come forward for testing. In fact, Defence Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob took the same position at the initial stage of the movement control order, only to reverse it later with no justification, which only ended up aggravating the situation when several immigration detention centres experienced massive virus outbreaks in May and June. It shows clearly that cracking down on undocumented migrants is not conducive to alleviating the Covid-19 crisis, because overcrowded cells lead to insanitary and violent conditions that are harmful to the physical and mental wellbeing of detainees. Fetention centres and prisons in their current form are nothing but a hotbed for viruses to spread faster, and the government is obviously repeating the same mistake in Sabah.   

It is worth reminding that director-general of health Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah himself said in June that while the increasing number of Covid-19 cases among migrant workers presented a new challenge to the government’s effort to contain it, stigmatising the community was of no help in resolving the issue. Prior to that, Noor Hisham had also cautioned that blaming or discriminating against the Sri Petaling Tabligh attendees for the sharp rise in Covid-19 cases earlier this year could potentially prevent them from coming forward for screening, thereby worsening the spread of the virus.

Agora Society therefore urges the prime minister to emulate the compassion and empathy as exemplified by Noor Hisham and refrain from stigmatising anyone while the frontline workers are doing their utmost to combat the virus. 

Above all, Muhyiddin should focus on ensuring that everyone in Malaysia – be they locals or foreigners and including his own cabinet – abide by the safety SOPs. Only then can we overcome the challenge without losing our humanity. – October 5, 2020.

* Agora Society Malaysia is a loose network of intellectuals, writers and activists who advance democratic progress in Malaysia through critical analyses and propositions based on the principles of democracy and good governance.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.