Malaysian officials state Malaysia has detained a Bangladeshi migrant who criticised on TV the nation’s treatment of undocumented travelers during the coronavirus pandemic.
In a narrative on Al Jazeera, Rayhan Kabir said the administration victimized sporadic foreign laborers by capturing and imprisoning them. The 25-year-old man will now be ousted.
Critics call the detainments of many migrants inhumane. Authorities state the move was expected to halt the infection nationwide.
Those captured included teenagers and Rohingya outcasts, activists state. The confinements were carried out when Malaysia was under lockdown due to Covid-19.
Police propelled an investigation concerning the documentary Locked Up in Malaysia’s Lockdown, released on 3 July, following complaints by authorities and national media that it was “”inaccurate, misleading and unfair”, the Qatari supporter said.
Detention warrant was given for Mr Kabir – whose work grant was disavowed after the program publicized – and he was detained on Friday.
“This Bangladeshi national will be deported and blacklisted from entering Malaysia forever,” Immigration Director General Khairul Dzaimee Daud said in an announcement, without clarifying why Mr Kabir was captured or whether he was associated with perpetrating a wrongdoing.
Bangladeshi paper Daily Star cited Mr Kabir as saying in a message before his arrest: “I did not commit any crime. I did not lie. I have only talked about discrimination against the migrants. I want the dignity of migrants and my country ensured. I believe all migrants and Bangladesh will stand with me.”
A group of 21 Bangladeshi civil society associations called for Mr Kabir’s discharge, saying: “An interview with the media is not a crime and Rayhan Kabir did not commit any crime.”
In a different explanation, Human Rights Watch stated: “The [Malaysian] government’s action sends a chilling message to the country’s many migrant workers: if you want to stay in Malaysia, don’t speak up no matter how badly you have been treated.”
Al Jazeera said Malaysian police had declared an investigation of its staff over dissidence, slander and infringement of the nation’s Communications and Multimedia Act. It said they were being exposed to “sustained online harassment”, including oppressive messages and demise dangers.
The telecaster said it “strongly refutes” the accusations against the programme and that it “stands by the professionalism, quality and impartiality of its journalism”
In a different turn of events, a Malaysian appointed authority toppled on Wednesday a decision to cane 27 Rohingya displaced people for unlawful entry, their attorney said. The case started an objection from activists.
Malaysia doesn’t recognise displaced people and there are significant levels of doubt for the individuals who originate from abroad, frequently serving as low-paid workers. Some have blamed migrant workers for spreading the coronavirus and being a burden on government means.
