'Bigoted, plain and simple' - LFL hammers Selangor govt over bus fare rule

 

Those defending the 90 sen fee for foreigners taking the PJ City Bus have failed to convince Lawyers for Liberty (LFF), which underscored the impact of the new policy on migrant workers.

“It is appalling that  (Petaling Jaya City Council) MBPJ has decided to impose this abhorrent policy on what is supposed to be a free public transportation service.

“Jay Jay Denis, the special officer to the Selangor menteri besar, assured the fare is ‘not meant to be discriminatory’ and not for profit as it does not even cover the cost of the service.

“However, this begs the question as to why such discriminatory fare would need to be imposed in the first place on the poorest users, such as migrant workers,” LFL director Zaid Malek (above) said in a statement this afternoon.

Describing the imposition of the fare as “irrational and arbitrary”, Zaid said, “the act is tantamount to bigotry, plain and simple”.

He added: “This is also implicit in the remarks by the Selangor MB’s aide, in which he stressed that the priority for the PJ City Bus is for Malaysians, as if the migrants are mooching off the Malaysian taxpayers, a narrative often used to justify discriminatory policies against migrants.”

‘Migrant workers are the backbone’

Zaid pointed out that it is an undeniable fact that migrant workers are the backbone of this country, being an essential part of many critical industries.

“Not only are they integral to the development of our country but they also contribute to our taxes and economy,” he said, citing that Irene Xavier of Persatuan Sahabat Wanita Selangor had noted that the 2022 budget estimated that RM1.7 billion would be collected from migrant workers that year.

“A significant portion of the migrant community do jobs that Malaysians will not take up, for less pay and under harsh conditions to the point that they often fall victim to labour exploitation. 

“The bus fare discrimination is emblematic of a larger problem of discrimination suffered by this vulnerable group at the hands of the authority.

“Xenophobia must not be a part of any government policy, both at the state and federal levels, especially by the Pakatan Harapan-led Selangor government, a coalition whose political platform promises reform,” he added.

The Petaling Jaya City bus

Therefore, LFL demands that the Selangor government retracts the planned discriminatory bus fare, which is slated to take effect on Jan 15.

Echoing a similar stand, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) called it a “heartless” move, which would add to the burden of underpaid foreign workers.

HRW's deputy director for Asia, Phil Robertson, noted that it is "well-heeled expatriates" who are using the service.

"Rather, it’s foreign migrant workers from South Asia, Myanmar, Cambodia and elsewhere who make a pittance, compared to Malaysians, who will get hit with this discriminatory fee, and they are precisely the ones who can least afford it," Robertson told online media outlet MalaysiaNow. - Mkini