AMEND FOREIGN LABOUR POLICY AND PLUG LEAKS
But they must be done after thorough study because ad hoc and unilateral changes will have a negative impact on the economy
THERE are a lot of unwelcomed parallels between today’s global scenario and events in the 1930s. For instance, the increasing populist sentiments in the 1930s which had led to the scape-goating of minorities such as the blacks, Jews and Romans for crimes they did not commit. President Donald Trump says the same about Hispanics, with provocative language such as immigrants “infesting” the country and his opponents having an “extreme” open border policy.
Such statements are deliberate, and mirror those made by other right-wing leaders across the globe such as Italy’s Matteo Salvini and Hungary’s Viktor Orban. Scare-mongering the masses and targeting those without a political voice are common tactics that serve to push forward agendas that might otherwise be deemed immoral or unethical.
Before we get too high on our horses and think that this also affects the Western hemisphere, let’s take a look at the recent debacle that is the decision (which later became a suggestion) to ban foreign cooks from working in local eateries.
A report by Bernama last week quoted human resources minister that only locals could be hired as cooks and that “there will be no compromise”. This caused a furore led by stakeholders who were not consulted prior to the decision being made, and those who felt that the sudden policy announcement had dangerous xenophobic undertones.
“Coincidentally”, some Malaysian media outlets also chose to highlight a study on foreign workers in the food sector that was published by a research group from Universiti Malaya. The media articles were written in such a manner as to highlight the fact that high levels of germs were discovered off the hands of workers from India and Nepal and thus pose a danger to the Malaysian population.
This shoddy type of reporting is either the work of individuals who do not understand public health research or those who are attempting to push forward a sinister xenophobic agenda in order to support a government policy that is ostensibly beneficial to the country.
The study’s conclusion is simple: if you check the hands of workers, you will discover a certain range and prevalence of germs. In order to make any policy decisions, you will need to do more — check other variables such as the environment and compare findings between groups of workers e.g. both foreigners and locals.
With greater press freedom comes more responsibility. Any editor worth his salt knows that the tone of an article can determine public sentiment, which is why media outlets are such prized assets. Highlighting the presence of germs, using the word “workers” instead of “expatriates” — all work towards setting a particular frame of mind.
The Pakatan Harapan manifesto includes a pledge to reduce the number of foreign workers in Malaysia. There is no doubt that modifications need to be made to our foreign labour policy and the leaks allowing unfettered illegal access need to be plugged. But, seemingly ad hoc and unilateral changes will not only have a negative impact on the economy but on the lives of many individuals as well.
In an age where there is increasing jingoism fueled by populism, coupled with ever-expanding but unreliable sources of information, we must remain true to our values. This includes ensuring that those most vulnerable in society — the stateless, the homeless, the foreign labourers, the list goes on — are protected from being sacrificial pawns in a political chess game.
It has since been reported that there has been an about-turn by the Human Resources Ministry, whereby the policy is now merely a proposal. It is a welcome sign of engagement, but one that could have been easily avoided in the first place without unnecessarily burning political capital. If we are entering a period of policy Uturns or politicians claiming to be misquoted all the time, then the road ahead is going to be far bumpier than anticipated.
There is no doubt that modifications need to be made to our foreign labour policy and the leaks allowing unfettered illegal access need to be plugged. But, seemingly ad hoc and unilateral changes will not only have a negative impact on the economy but on the lives of many individuals as well.
The writer is a respiratory consultant physician with an interest in healthcare and socioeconomic policies