Commentary by Mustafa K. Anuar

IT IS understandable why civil society group Lawyers for Liberty director Zaid Malek was disturbed by Petaling Jaya City Council’s plan to impose a fare on migrant workers who use its PJ City Bus service, while Malaysians get to take the same ride for free.

As Zaid rightly said, the 90-sen bus fare, which will take effect on January 15, is discrimination against migrant workers, whose earnings are relatively meagre.

Surely the council would not incur additional costs to its daily bus operations if these users were to use the bus service.

Such unfairness is borne out of bigotry and xenophobia that seem to have developed over the years in some government agencies, which, in turn, helps to perpetuate prejudices and racism harboured by the general public against foreign workers.

As it stands, migrant workers have to deal with health, social and economic challenges. Such vulnerabilities expose them to possible abuses.

This is despite the fact that migrant workers have been playing a crucial role in our nation-building, be it in the construction, manufacturing or the plantation and services sector.

According to the Home Ministry, there are more than 1.4 million foreign workers in the country as of December 31, with most of them working in the manufacturing sector, followed by construction and services.

Malaysians have come to expect them to serve us at supermarkets, restaurants, petrol stations as well as secure our housing estates.

In Selangor, their presence is generally felt in the manufacturing, construction and services sectors.

Some Malaysians tend to look down on the migrant workers simply because many of them work in jobs that are deemed dirty, dangerous and difficult. The kind of work many Malaysians loathe to do but are considered essential nonetheless.

We should be mindful that these workers are not here for a free lunch as they also contribute to our taxes and economy. The 2022 Budget estimates that RM1.7 billion of taxes was collected from them in that year.

And yet, they are generally seen by many Malaysians as a threat to our national security, which probably explains why the Home Ministry still insists that it is the “main custodian” in managing migrant workers.

There are some bad apples among migrant workers who indulge in criminal activities, but to tar the entire community with the same brush is obviously unfair and only magnifies public prejudice.

Such negative depictions are further heightened on social media and reported by certain media outlets. Stereotypes like these do not help enlighten Malaysians on this matter.

By the same token, we also have our own bad apples, some of whom are found in high places. There are exploitative Malaysian employers, but this also does not mean that all Malaysians are a sleazy and plundering lot.

Allowing migrant workers to use the PJ City buses for free would go a long way not only to ease their financial burden, but also to acknowledge their contributions to our collective progress and prosperity. 

Is giving a free lift to all and sundry really too much to ask of the PJ City Council? –  January 8, 2023.