PETALING JAYA: The golden rule should always be to “treat others the way they want to be treated”.
In doing so, think tank Emir Research head of social, law and human rights Jason Loh said migrants (those who move to another country temporarily) and work in 3D (dirty, difficult and dangerous) jobs are often treated unfairly compared to expatriates and those working in “small jobs”, defined as waiters, petrol pump attendants, cashiers and such.
Loh noted that 3D jobs included those in construction, rubbish collection, horticulture and many other sectors.
He also said Malaysians treated expatriates better in the sense that people look up to them as highly educated, well-groomed, financially sound and savvy in many respects.
“But migrants are often regarded as “dirty” because they do jobs that locals avoid as a general stereotype.
“Given a choice, a landlord would rent an apartment to an expatriate rather than to a group of migrants even if the rent is paid by the employer,” he said.
Loh added that migrant workers can also be subject to unsafe conditions at work where, in the absence of regular checks by the authorities, the employer disregards occupational safety and health rules and regulations and cut corners.
“We have seen how landslides occurred at construction sites, resulting in the deaths of migrant workers. In the past few years, we heard of such incidents in Penang, involving some migrants who were undocumented.
“As for small jobs, there would also be the possibility of undocumented workers. Under such circumstances, they can easily be held hostage by the employer, such as withholding wages or paying less than what was promised.
“Expatriates don’t face such situations,” he said, adding migrants are hardworking and reliable.
“They are guest workers in our country. As guests, we should ensure at least that they are accorded the basic respect that they deserve. If they break Immigration laws, they should expect the full punishment, but they shouldn’t be treated inhumanely and degraded.”
Civil society organisation Migrant Care country representative Alex Ong pointed out that during the pandemic, unskilled workers and migrants were stigmatised as Covid-19 carriers and were treated unfairly while expatriates did not face such discrimination.
He claimed that cases of forced labour have increased and there have been migrant deaths that became cold cases.
“It is also known that there are employers who withhold the passports of migrant workers, making them more vulnerable during police and Immigration raids.”
Ong said former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed’s “prosper thy neighbours” policy is often ignored by local businessmen who want cheap labour.
“Employers’ perceptions about migrants as not equal partners is rampant and exploitation and structural abuses have become very common. The embodied perception of superiority complexes and racism has been a practice,” he added.
