Rohingyas in Baju Melayu appeal to save their people; netizens show little sympathy

 

THE PLIGHT of the Rohingya community in Malaysia continues to draw concern, as many struggle to survive on the margins of society with little legal protection.

Without proper documentation, many are forced to rely on irregular or odd jobs to make ends meet.

They often take on low-paying, labour-intensive work in construction, cleaning, or small-scale trading—jobs that locals may avoid which also come with high risks.

So it is unsurprising that a group of Rohingyas decided to appeal to Malaysian sympathy by telling us to save the Rohingyas in a video.

The video which was posted on X by netizen @kamaghul has since received over 103 comments and 318 shares.

The message is understandable, but the optics used drew quite the attention since they were all dressed up to the nines in the traditional Baju Melayu, complete with sampin and songkok.

The main actor who stood in the middle of the video even had the cheek to call himself Prince. Whether the name alludes towards his tenuous link to royalty or not, we do not know.  

But the important question remains. Is all that dressing up helpful in delivering the right message to the crowd?

Looking through the comment section, we can confidently state that the answer is a big No.

“Wow, even the clothes have changed and become similar to the Malay. Be careful, there are many zionist countries that use migrants to change the system,” said a sceptical @jayrulz22.

Check out this picture comment too, which suggest that the Rohingyas are quite a nuisance:

“Who sponsored the sampin? Just came out of the plastic?” wondered @ikhwan_meteorix.

“At least iron the shirt and the sampin. Then go home to your respective countries,” added @wanahmadzhafran.

Then there was a hard-hitting @afialiuddin telling them to get their citizenship through football.

None of the comments were sympathetic towards their plight. 

Away from the insensitive jokes and tasteless remarks, the Rohingyas have been fleeing persecution in Myanmar for years.

Thousands have sought refuge in Malaysia but there are no official numbers since this is undocumented. 

While the country has become a de facto sanctuary, it does not formally recognise refugee status, leaving Rohingyas in a legal grey area.

This is no simply matter, but more importantly, it is no laughing matter. — Focus Malaysia