Lawyer: Politicians, media guilty of encouraging xenophobia

Eric Paulsen says politicians and the media tend to put foreigners in a bad light without highlighting their contributions to the nation.

Human rights lawyer Eric Paulsen says many Malaysians do not acknowledge the contributions of foreigners. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: A human rights lawyer has highlighted the role of politicians and the media in fighting xenophobia and raising awareness on the plight of refugees in the country.

Eric Paulsen.

Eric Paulsen, who is the legal director of rights organisation Fortify Rights, said xenophobia was a growing trend around the world, even in traditionally liberal countries like Germany and Denmark.

“People are being conditioned to fear foreigners, so much so that they feel it is okay to discriminate against them,” he told FMT.

He was responding to the slew of comments on social media regarding the plight of 11 Uighur Muslims who entered Malaysia illegally after escaping from an immigration depot in Thailand.

They are facing deportation back to China, but activists have pleaded with Putrajaya not to send them back, fearing the 11 men will face persecution, torture and life imprisonment.

Paulsen said politicians and the media were guilty of sending out messages of “us versus them, citizens against foreigners”, only putting foreigners in a bad light or downplaying their contributions.

“Whenever there’s a public holiday, the next day the media will highlight the large numbers of foreigners enjoying their day off in Petaling Street, painting a negative picture, but their contributions aren’t highlighted.

“They do the work that Malaysians don’t want, working in construction, building homes and iconic buildings.”

Paulsen said it was also easy for politicians to capitalise on the unpopularity of refugees, adding that few were willing to defend them.

He said even Malaysians who complained of discrimination by the government might feel it was permissible to discriminate against non-Malaysians.

He added that there was a need for people to understand the plight of refugees, although many were unwilling to do so.

Human rights lawyer Siti Kasim meanwhile attributed xenophobia to a lack of empathy.

“It all boils down to empathy and it is natural for human beings. We actually unlearn empathy more than we learn how to be empathic.”

She added that empathy “goes out the window” when feudalistic or racial ideologies or religions teach people that they are superior to others due to illogical reasons.

This, she said, was why there was a need to emphasise humanity over all else. - FMT