MIGRANT workers in flood relief shelters face discrimination while those living in flood-struck areas are often the last to receive food aid, if at all, a community leader and a non-governmental organisation said.

Foreigners at the shelters are sidelined and can only get food and clean clothes after locals have taken their pick, they said.

The leader of Indonesian labourers in Subang and Sri Muda said many of the migrant workers were left hungry after a group delivering food was denied access to their area.

The group leader, who asked only to be identified as Rahman, for fear of repercussions, said the food delivery people were barred from entering Sri Muda for no reason.

“We do not know why we were not allowed in. We tried to enter just to pass food to them because there were many Indonesian labourers stuck in their homes as a result of the flood,” he said.

“They had not eaten for three days. Their food supply was washed away in the flood. Eventually we were helped by some locals, who gave them food.

Police have said that only the vehicles of selected aid groups are allowed into the Sri Muda area. Public vehicles are not allowed except with permission. This is to prevent congestion as people were being evacuated to flood shelters.

Rahman said the migrant workers who were rescued and housed in the relief centres are left out when food and clothes are distributed.

“They will get the last bit of food left and the leftover clothes. Priority is given to Malaysians and the migrants will only get what is left.”

Alex Ong of Migrant CARE, said the complaints were valid.

He said Indonesian groups that had tried to launch their own relief efforts were not allowed access to places or the people they were trying to reach, for unknown reasons.

Ong said there was a lack of coordination between state agencies responding to the floods.

“In situations like this, state agencies as well as the authorities are more worried about the wellbeing of the VIPs than the life of ordinary people who are trapped with no food.

“When a VIP comes, the whole road is closed and when they leave, the agencies also follow, leaving the victims hanging. 

They need to know their priorities. This is not the time for showboating.”

Ong described the situation in some areas as chaotic. 

“Relief workers who want to help are barred from entering but politicians who go in for a photo or two are celebrated like heroes when they do nothing to help,” he added.

Ong said the authorities showed a lack of experience in crisis relief. For example, they have been slow in supplying basic essentials such as drinking water.

“What the victims need most is clean drinking water; that is basic but the supply is not there. 

“Items like blankets only arrived after a few days. It shows they (the authorities) do not know what are the important items that flood victims need.”

A man who organised a rescue mission on his own via Twitter told The Malaysian Insight that Indonesian workers in Batu 3 Shah Alam went hungry for several days after their homes were damaged in the floods.

“These are people who lived as squatters. No one bothered to check on them; there was only a group of MBSA (Shah Alam City Council) officers checking but no JKM (welfare) or state agencies came to offer help.

“All their belongings were gone and they were starving when we got to them.

“Is it because they are migrants that no one cares about them? Luckily there are many kind-hearted Malaysians who donated to help the families,” said Reezal Rosli, 27.

An aid group worker who wished to remain anonymous said several foreigners were chased out of relief centres to make room for locals.

He said some locals had even complained to the authorities about the presence of foreign labourers.

“They get very little support compared to locals and when they are helped, some locals will complain, make a fuss over it.

“We also received calls that they were asked to leave the shelter to let locals in even though they were there first.

“It is worrying that we still have this third-class mentality.” –  January 2, 2021.