Activist to Penang CM: 'Racist' to say foreign workers prone to social ills

An activist has condemned Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow for reportedly saying that migrants are prone to social ills and should not be placed in regular residences in residential neighbourhoods.

Chow was quoted in Free Malaysia Today as saying yesterday that foreign workers should not be allowed to live in regular residences in residential neighbourhoods. 

He had expressed concern over the manner in which foreign workers were placed in housing estates, saying that it was common to see many workers crammed into one house, even in affluent neighbourhoods.

Chow further added that foreign workers were prone to social ills such as alcoholism and crime which had become an annoyance to locals.

Social activist Stanley Sudhagaran said Chow's remarks appear "racist and xenophobic".

"I find it very disappointing as it comes from the chief of state," said Stanley, who is the former chairperson of the Episcopal Commission for Migrants and Itinerant People, and the Bishops' Conference of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei.

"As a leader, I expect him to be a unifying factor and not to cause more hatred and prejudice towards the migrants in our state," said Stanley.

Stanley said alcoholism, social ills and crime are general problems that do not affect a specific race or nationality.

"They (foreign workers) clean our s**t and collect our garbage. They plant our food and build our homes. Is this how we return respect to them?" asked Stanley.

Yesterday, Chow handed over the certificate of completion for Westlite Accommodation, which is run by Centurion Corporation Ltd (Centurion), the operator of a 6,600-bed dormitory in Bukit Minyak, Penang.

The RM72.3 million hostel houses a three-block, 11-storey dormitory with lifts, a food court, supermarket, mobile phone shop, internet services, prayer rooms, futsal court, gymnasium, volleyball and badminton courts and a sick bay.

Ensure migrant rights protected

Stanley said Chow needs to give his assurance that the new accommodation built for these workers would not be managed in the manner of a military detention camp, where the rights of these workers could be abused.

"For example, is there a time curfew, alcohol ban? These would be blatant human rights abuses.

"The workers should be allowed to freely live their lives in accordance with Malaysian law and no one should be allowed to control how they are to live their lives outside of working hours," he said.

"Also we need to ensure the accommodation is not a breeding ground for extortion by the police and other criminals.

"The state needs to ensure the police does not go there simply to bully these workers and extort money from them," he stressed.

On the same note, Parti Sosialis Malaysia central committee member Choo Chon Kai said the state and employers should bear the responsibility to provide adequate housing for migrant workers.

This is to ensure the workers’ wellbeing and quality of life, as they have contributed much to our economy, Choo added.

"It's not a proper way by putting them into concentration camp-like facilities that segregate them from local communities, as this would widen the distance among communities by reinforcing stereotypes.

"Politicians should not fuel stereotypes of migrants, and xenophobia with irresponsible statements," Choo said. - Mkini