PUTRAJAYA’S suggestion to make migrant workers wear wristbands in order to identify and track them is a clear attempt of criminalisation of migrant workers, said migrant rights group Tenaganita. 

Its executive director Glorene Das said the move by the government could not be tolerated or accepted. 

“What kind of harsh culture are we cultivating?” she asked.

On Wednesday, Senior Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the wristbands would make it easier to identify migrant workers and monitor their movements. 

Glorene however said there was no need for such discrimination towards a group of people who continue to contribute to the country through their labour, levies, and skills.

“They are not criminals or animals to be tagged,” she said. 

On Thursday, Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) also condemned the suggestion, saying it “legalises prejudicial profiling”.

LFL said the chilling suggestion essentially meant the government was legalising or formalising prejudicial profiling under the pretext of combating Covid-19. 

The lawyers’ group said such forced identification marks upon certain segments of the population raised disturbing memories of Nazism.

“This will result in harassment and used not just by the authorities but also many members of the public who are already violently attacking migrant workers due to many misconceptions surrounding the pandemic,” Glorene said. 

“Are we starting an outcast system imposing wristbands in the country? Why are we further stigmatising them in an already hostile environment?” she asked. 

In May, the International Labour Organisation, the United Nations’ labour agency, said in a report there were cases of migrant workers being unfairly terminated or not getting paid when Malaysia’s nationwide coronavirus lockdown was first imposed in March.

Meanwhile, more than 1,000 undocumented or illegal migrants – who often seek work with unregistered businesses – were arrested in May when authorities conducted raids during the lockdown.

Those workers were placed in overcrowded detention centres that later became hotspots for the spread of the virus.

Malaysia is home to at least two million migrant workers, who comprise around 15% of the total workforce. – November 21, 2020.