KAJANG, June 3 — Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin today sarcastically urged 16 Pakatan Harapan (PH) lawmakers who objected to the government’s planned crackdown on migrants here to instead help out and become sponsors for them.
In a press conference here, Hamzah criticised the group and accused them of prioritising the interest of migrants instead of Malaysians.
“To the YBs who want to fight for these undocumented people, I ask that they become sponsors to those without documents. Bring them, meet with us at the Immigration, they become sponsors.
“For example, Ustaz Hasanuddin, get those whom he knows, whom he wants to fight for, the one without documents, together with us, and we will ensure that we will go to the embassy concerned and then the embassy gives them the legitimate documents,” he said, referring to Hulu Langat MP, Hasanuddin Mohd Yunus, who is one of the lawmakers who criticised the crackdown.
“So I hope that the 16 YBs truly can champion this. Priority must be given to the Malaysian people. Meaning if that person has no documents, they are not Malaysian, then based on that, we can only help them when there is a sponsor to work together with the embassies that are in our country,” he said.
The statement of objection was signed by parliamentarians, Maszlee Malik, Datuk Mujahid Yusof Rawa, R Sivarasa, Maria Chin Abdullah, Kasthuriraani Patto, Charles Santiago, Chan Ming Kai, Hasanuddin Mohd Yunus, Hassan Karim, Amiruddin Hamzah, Natrah Ismail, Sim Tze Sin and a number of elected state representatives.
The group said that there are approximately three million undocumented migrant workers in Malaysia, or maybe more with between two and three million documented workers, adding that as long as many of them remain unvaccinated, it would prove difficult to achieve herd immunity needed to protect Malaysian lives.
Hamzah added that the aim of the government’s crackdown operation is to aid in achieving herd immunity against Covid-19.
“That’s why we want to ensure that all those who have received their vaccine will have some identification which we can give. If we do not have the necessary documents, tomorrow, when everyone gets their vaccine, these people, how are we going to give them the vaccine? They do not have documents which we can verify, that this person is someone we have vaccinated.
“So, there is no need to champion those who are undocumented. If possible, if they are sure that there are those without documents, bring them and meet us,” Hamzah said, referring to the lawmakers.
Apart from the PH leaders, the bipartisan All Party Parliamentary Group Malaysia for the Reform of Prisons and All Places of Detention (APPGM) group had also criticised the planned crackdown.
Malaysiakini reported the group frowning at the decision, adding that it is unacceptable for the government to still consider the option of mass arrests and imprisonments as a viable choice to control the pandemic, especially when more than 109 countries have followed the evidence and implemented decongestion measures and alternatives to incarceration.
The APPGM includes deputy speaker Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, Liew Chin Tong, Nurul Izzah Anwar, Datuk Seri Rohani Abdul Karim and Datuk Mohd Azis Jamman as well as public health expert Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman and lawyer Sangeet Kaur Deo.
