Amnesty International Malaysia and North South Initiative, while acknowledging the importance of international solidarity in calling for an end to the violence against Palestinians, told FMT they believed it was equally important to ensure the wellbeing of refugees and asylum seekers in Malaysia.
Katrina Jorene Maliamauv, executive director of Amnesty, alleged that there was a lack of political will to establish a comprehensive refugee policy for Malaysia. She said this was fuelled by “socio-cultural othering” and xenophobic practices encouraged by those in power.
“We need to pay attention and respond to injustices elsewhere, and similarly look at and respond to the injustice and oppression taking place in our country,” she added.
According to Maliamauv, many migrants here still live in constant fear of detention while being denied a host of fundamental rights, including the right to health, education, work and decent accommodation.
“The criminalisation of non-citizens through the wide-sweeping powers of the Immigration Act shapes the reality of not just migrants but also refugees and asylum seekers in Malaysia,” she said.
In recent days, politicians from across the divide have been condemning Israel’s aggression against Palestinians, which escalated following attacks on the Al-Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan.
The government has collaborated with 40 NGOs to form the #Aid4Palestine secretariat, which aims to raise RM1 million and channel the money to Palestine. The Terengganu menteri besar and 10 state excos have each donated one month of their salaries to the fund.
North South Initiative director Adrian Pereira pointed out that Malaysia had yet to sign the United Nations 1951 Refugee Convention, but said the country could still amend local laws and ensure domestic protection for refugees and asylum seekers.
He said Malaysia’s stance on international justice and human rights matters must be consistent with its local practices.
“There is a sense of selective advocacy and activism in the country. The inconsistencies in our human rights action is borderline hypocrisy.”
Aslam Abd Jalil, a Universiti Malaya fellow who does research on refugees in Malaysia, said it was high time for the country to grant refugees their right to legal work.
“With the pandemic, we see that the government is trying to enforce better accommodation for workers, but unfortunately this only applies to legal, formal work,” he said. “Undocumented employees such as refugees are not covered.”
He said this must come along with access to legal documentation, public education and healthcare.
“Refugees can still attend private schools but their families, in many cases, cannot afford this since they are not allowed to work.
“They have no proper income and this affects their livelihoods and childrens’ education. This applies to all refugees in Malaysia, including Palestinians,” he added.
Citing a figure provided by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Aslam said 750 Palestinians were registered with the UNHCR in Malaysia as of March although the actual figure could be higher.