SETTING aside the huge cost of implementation, the potential infringement of property rights of residents and the overall ineffectiveness of driving down infection numbers, any layman would have foreseen this would add to the laundry list of this current government’s failings if the government chose to allow apartment managements to bar residents or tenants from entering their residence unless they are tested for Covid-19.

Senior Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob knew the political cost and it is under such circumstances that he attempted to divert responsibility by saying such rule only applies to foreigners in the name of “maintaining the safety of the residents in the area”.

Surely this represents a new low for a Malaysian government that is notorious for, and never shy away from, controversial xenophobic and anti-migrant statements or policies.

Though the senior minister has acknowledged that the National Security Council (NSC) with emergency powers has not agreed to such a policy, it was the latter part of his statement where he also insisted that the management is within its right to deny entry to foreigners that are not tested that is deeply unsettling and equally bizarre.

It is still rather unfathomable – at least to me – why he has given a government blessing to the management of condominiums for such a toxic and divisive idea where he could have just easily batted the issue away by saying the NSC is still at the discussion stage of this policy or, more boldly, has shot down the whole idea itself where many policy experts are questioning its efficacy.

Yet, the second-in-command in government chose a reply that would only embolden the misanthropes and xenophobes of our societies, and sowing distrust between migrants and Malaysians, which undermines the effort to control the pandemic.

Also, this is a complete departure from what we have known and been told by the government in battling the pandemic. What is the point of only applying such stringent rules against foreigners when the virus defies nationality, colour or religion?

In fact, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin recently stated that migrant workers should be one of the first few vaccine recipients, given that they face a higher risk of being infected.  

Ismail Sabri, in a Twitter post, appeared to double down on his condominium statements by accusing Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh and Lembah Pantai MP Fahmi Fadzil for focusing on the welfare of foreigners rather than that of Malaysians.

This led me to believe that the Twitter post – now deleted – was a slip of the tongue that unwittingly exposed the senior minister’s xenophobic leanings, which has been increasingly apparent since the Covid-19 started.

Lest we forget, this is the minister that has thrown undocumented migrants under the bus by initially encouraging them to come forward for testing only to perform a volte-face with no justification. It is to be believed that the mass arrest of undocumented migrants contributed to the virus outbreaks in detention centres during the months of May and June last year.

But what is perhaps the most egregious statement from the senior minister was the fact that for the minister in charge of security during Covid-19, he once mooted compulsory identification wristbands for migrant workers, which must be construed as a form of profiling that could lead to further stigmatisation and discrimination.

While the proposal was subsequently shelved, it is unacceptable that a policy that shared similarities with Nazi’s Yellow Star could be put on the table at the NSC, never mind brought up by Ismail Sabri during a press conference.

Having said that, the opposition is also no stranger to discriminatory policies of their own. The policy to impose a nominal fee for foreigners on their “free” Smart Selangor buses is no difference than Ismail Sabri’s condominium directives for it is a divisive policy that fuels discrimination against foreigners.

Just as the foreigners have the right to their residence, they should also have the right to public transport and there should be no discrimination when it comes to delivering equitable bus services.

What is more chilling about this policy as compared to the recent cases is perhaps that the Selangor government has decided to implement such a xenophobic policy before the Covid-19 crisis. Even after the painful 2020 when the debate of the welfare of migrant workers became magnified, the state government still has no desire to overturn it.

I stand by Yeoh’s rebuttal in exposing Ismail Sabri’s incompetence and uncaring attitude towards foreigners in Malaysia, yet as a former speaker of the Selangor state assembly, she also has the obligation to defend those foreigners who commute to work by Selangor public buses.

Malaysia remains an economy that is deeply reliant on migrant workers, who remain underappreciated and are prone to stigmatisation through government policies.

And as the Covid-19 crisis has exposed the challenge and plight of living in Malaysia for migrant workers, this may serve as a starting point where we Malaysians recognise their contributions to this society. Additionally, politicians should strive to not just be representatives of Malaysians but of everyone living in Malaysia. – January 31, 2021.

* Kenneth Cheng has always been interested in the interplay between human rights and government but more importantly he is a father of two cats, Tangyuan and Toufu. When he is not attending to his feline matters, he is most likely reading books about politics and human rights or playing video games. He is a firm believer in the dictum “power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will”.

* 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.