Commentary by Mustafa K. Anuar

IT looks like the government has to get its act together if it is serious about having refugees and migrants, particularly undocumented workers, vaccinated in the protracted war against Covid-19.

Getting conflicting messages from Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin and Home Minister Hamzah Zainudin about the safety of going to health facilities and vaccination centres obviously does not inspire confidence in these workers who in the past had been subjected to similar confusing signals, raids and harassment.

Khairy assured the migrant workers that no action would be taken against those who come to vaccination centres for jabs, adding that it was his ministry’s duty to provide vaccination for everyone who resides in Malaysia. This assurance is commendable.

In contrast, Hamzah said there was a need for healthcare workers to report the undocumented workers to security agencies when they show up.

Hamzah’s instruction is putting the healthcare workers in an unenviable position to make a report of the workers’ visitation which, in turn, could stoke fear and suspicion among the migrants.

In the interest of achieving a higher rate of vaccination among all communities, especially the vulnerable, Khairy’s contention that everyone residing in Malaysia gets access to vaccination should prevail.

The government would be shooting itself in the foot in the larger scheme of vaccinating the migrant community if it continues to pursue the objective of reporting undocumented workers.

It is this fear of being arrested that is likely to push the undocumented workers to go underground and be unvaccinated as a result, a scenario that is unpleasant to them who are as concerned about their health safety as any other Malaysians.  

Some migrants even reportedly resorted to getting “underground jabs”. 

As it is, life amid the epidemic has already been hard enough for many of the migrants, with some being jobless, exploited or made to face a tough time in putting food on the table.

This explains why the Malaysian Medical Association protested Hamzah’s statement, calling it a setback to their effort to vaccinate the migrant community.

It is estimated that there are about four million undocumented migrants, of whom only 1.2 million have been vaccinated. An easy and trustworthy access to the vaccination centres would obviously help to hasten the vaccination rate among the migrants.

That is why undocumented migrants find comfort and confidence in going to vaccination centres run by charity groups with the assistance of migrant ethnic and community representatives – without the intervention of or link to state security agencies.

We are often reminded that no one is safe until everyone is safe. It is therefore useful to bear in mind that the risks associated with unvaccinated segments of the migrant workers may well spill over to the larger Malaysian community. 

This is aside from the need to practise physical distancing and have a less congested housing environment. 

It is hence hoped that the government would pursue a consistent policy that would benefit not only the migrants but also to everyone else residing in this country.

These migrants, both documented and otherwise, who have contributed in various ways to our nation-building, deserve unhindered access to healthcare, particularly vaccination. 

Moreover, providing such a healthcare service to workers who come from various parts of the world would be much in line with Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s proposition to the United Nations recently that nations should work in the spirit of a “world family”.  

A clear policy on the migrants’ vaccination is essential, particularly one that is based on the principle of humanity. – September 27, 2021.