Freespace - Much ado about foreign workers

LOOKING around our country, especially the urban areas, we should consider ourselves blessed. We have buildings to house our families and commerce. We have roads making travel easier. We have a manufacturing and industrial sector. Most of the people involved in erecting those buildings, laying down these roads and assisting in our economy are foreign workers.
Yet it is with little surprise that the reaction to the news that Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina signed an memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Malaysia, agreeing to send a million Bangladeshi workers to our country was mainly negative.
But what has surprised me the most is the negative reaction of Malaysians on social media to the Bangladeshis themselves. Comments such as "Our crime rate will increase" or "Bangladeshis are taking over our country" leaves me scratching my head. Why all the negativity to these people? What have they done, when in fact the 1.5 million are still in Bangladesh?
First, let's talk about the crime rate. If one thinks rationally minus emotional responses, the criminal offences in any country would surely be committed mainly by its own citizens. In 2014, Home Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said only 10-15% of crimes were committed by foreign workers, while the rest by Malaysians. While I know many are cynical about these kind of statistics, but seriously, how can a country's crime rate be accorded to an entire nationality of foreign workers?
In addition, Tenaganita, an NGO that works towards protecting the rights of women and migrants, has said that foreigners who committed crimes in Malaysia did not come in search of a job. In fact, Tenaganita director Aegile Fernandes was reported to have said that foreign workers ended up being victims of local criminals.
Second, according to 2013 statistics, there are 935,000 Indonesian workers in the country. Nepalis are next with 359,000, then only Bangladeshis (319,000), followed by Myanmar (174,000) and Indians (117,000). In addition, I might add that the 1.5 million are just Bangladeshis registered with the Bangladesh government for employment, not the actual figure that might be shipped here.
Third, the Bangladeshis are among the hardest workers I have seen in Malaysia, including our own local workforce. Just go to a petrol station and they try to help out. In fact, our local grocery shop, owned by a Chinese couple, is entirely run by Bangladeshi workers, who are always happy to serve.
These Bangladeshis practically sell their entire self to leave their country to make a better life for themselves. When our children migrate to Canada or Australia or the United States, we nod our heads and say, "Good good, they can make a better life for themselves there," but when others do it and come to our country (not even to migrate, just to work), we say, "No! They cannot come! Our crime rate will go up! Malaysia becoming Banglaysia!"
While countries in the West might be a little more politically correct and sensitive to the needs of their incoming diaspora, Malaysians are not bound by any such sense of empathy or sympathy. We put a spotlight on our xenophobia even before migrants have stepped onto our shores.
Personally, I don't think we need more foreign labour. I also don't believe that the Bangladeshis under the new MoU will not come, such is the case of these things in Malaysia.
But my hope is that these workers will get jobs upon arrival. It has been in the news before that many have arrived and found themselves jobless, which is also confirmed by Tenaganita.
I also hope that we treat these workers with respect. It is not their fault that the MoU was signed and it is not their fault that they came here to earn a better living. We are the hosts of both Western expatriate workers and Bangladeshi factory workers. There shouldn't be a difference in how we treat our guests.
Daniel freelances in writing and fitness training, and has a deep passion for health, fitness, sleep and travel. Comments: letters@thesundaily.com