CNI News
1 Nov 2022
As Malaysia is preparing to hold the general election soon, documented or undocumented Myanmar migrants were asked to be more cautious wherever they go and not to talk Malaysian politics, Myanmar organizations in Malaysia told the CNI.
The organizations told the CNI that they had to ask Myanmar migrants to be more cautious because the general election will be held in Malaysia on 19th November and fighting may erupt between some rival political parties in some places.
An official from the Alliance of Chin Refugees told the CNI, “We should not express our opinions on Malaysian political parties wherever we go because different people support different political parties. We are not Malaysia citizens and we should not talk about Malaysian politics. If someone dislikes our opinions, they may hold grudges against us. It is important not to say who is a better minister for refugees or Myanmar migrants. At worksites, there are people from different countries.”
Detained migrant workers in Malaysia.
“Malaysian citizens will choose the party they support. We must not create undesirable grudges against us. So, we must do our work. This is the election of Malaysian citizens, not ours,” he added.
Myanmar migrants were also asked to leave the place where brawls erupt between supporters of different political parties as soon as possible.
If they fail to leave the place in time, it is dangerous for undocumented migrants, the official told the CNI.
Arrests of migrants have been made on a daily basis since the parliament was dissolved and a fresh election was announced. More arrests of migrants are likely to be made when the elections are closer, Labour Activist U Babu Gyi, who has been helping Myanmar migrants, told the CNI.
Among migrants from different countries, Myanmar migrants make up the largest number of detainees in Malaysian detention centres and prisons. The second largest groups of detainees are Indonesians.
Detained migrant workers in Malaysia.
U Babu Gyi told the CNI, “The Malaysian immigration chief announced that they would arrest illegal migrants every day. Arrests are made every day. The largest migrant group in detention centres are from Myanmar because they sneaked into Malaysia. I visited some prisons and detention centres at Thai-Malaysia border yesterday. They are full of Myanmar detainees. Some detainees were have to be moved to other states because prisons and detention centres there are very crowded. I think about 10,000 Myanmar migrants have been detained. It was a sorrowful scene. They need help. Some of them were crying.
It was announced that security will be tightened until the election is over.
As a result, Myanmar organizations in Malaysia are urging illegal Myanmar migrants to be more cautious.
