Immigrants ‘R’ us – Nadia and Nabila Habib

Why does the heavy flow of immigrant workers make us uncomfortable? Why do we tend to prioritise our nationals over billions of other earthlings who own the Earth just as much as we do? Why do we treat immigrants horribly yet ask for equal rights when we become immigrants in a foreign land? What happens to the essence of equal rights that we demand from our leaders in our homeland when it involves foreign workers?

A distinguishing line must be drawn between criticising the government’s decision, immigration policy and their inhumane treatment of the immigrant workers; and being superficial xenophobic bigots who barely understand their cause of protest – probably just as much as they understand history.

Little do we realise that almost all of us are immigrants in one way or another, only differentiated by the material time at which we have immigrated.

"A Report on the 1931 Census" by C. A. Vlieland has made clear that "… the Malays are in fact merely immigrants of generally longer standing than the other migrant races represented in the peninsula and are in no sense an autochthonous population."

As said by Dr Kua Kia Soong, the director of Suaram in his book "Racism and Racial Discrimination in Malaysia", as absurd as it is, the native people of peninsular Malaysia do not enjoy "Bumiputera" privileges, unlike the Malays.

The "natives" here refer to the Orang Asli or the aboriginals. However, the notion that it is necessary to shower the aboriginals with privileges solely for the reason of "being here first" is altogether ridiculous. One does not have control over which land to be born in, and no land is in fact superior to the other.

Let us look, for instance, at the time of Parameswara. He was the founder of Malacca, and later established the Sultanate of Malacca despite the fact that he originated from Palembang.

It may be important to note at this point the fact that human genomes do not recognise "race" – as is further confirmed by Dr Marcus Feldman, a biologist from Stanford University – for race is an insignificant quality, backed by absolutely no scientific basis.

Einstein has shown in his prominent theory of relativity (e=mc2) how particles in the universe are drawn to each other. We are indeed tied to each other by nature. Is it not time we accept and appreciate our endless phenotypical differences and such yet still be one?

At a time like this when globalisation is rampant and when it is highly unlikely that cultures stay isolated from the rest of the world, is there still a necessity of dividing between races or nationalities?

Why when reporting on unfortunate criminal incidences do we magnify insignificant "factors" that "contribute" to them such as race and ethnicity?

Do we not realise that the little blue globe on our office desk has merely imaginary lines drawn on it, being only another tool to separate us from one another?

Do we still need to be reminded despite our common sense that foreigners are not necessarily criminals and that xenophobia is not genetic?

* Nadia and Nabila Habib read The Malaysian Insider.