It’s essentially a 116-word nip at our weird and wonderful world. Over the last few months I have been able to lightly lampoon, or at least draw attention to, all dimensions of life, both wacky and unworthy.
Threatening notes with bad spelling, faulty microphones at a State assembly, misplaced metaphors and disingenuous reasoning employed by politicians; low-grade fraudsters and an infinitely gullible public, and superstitious beliefs of all sorts.
Recently I came across a story that was too dark to lampoon but I tried all the same. I titled it “Asing Villa” (May 1). It was based on a media report that foreign workers in the Iskandar development region will be placed in “enclaves” so as to ensure “a safer and more conducive living environment” for Malaysians.
These so-called enclaves, one named Princess Villa, had all the makings of a concentration camp, short of boiling the inhabitants down to glue. These villas come with double-layered fencing, close circuit television, biometric tagging for residents, a “panic-button” system, dedicated wardens, 24-hour security and a curfew.
I was angry when I first read it on April 30, and I still am.
What has become of us as a people that we think that we can subject other human beings, here to drive the wheels of our industry, to these prison-like conditions? Something evil seems to be at the heart of the nation, feeding off fear and contempt for others “lesser” than us.
The media reported quite un-ironically that “locals living in Iskandar Malaysia can look forward to a safer and more conducive living environment with the introduction of a foreign worker’s enclave equipped with double-layer fencing, close circuit television (CCTV) and 24-hour security.”
The report failed to note that the residents of these enclaves are not convicted prisoners but workers, like most of us. We work, earn a wage and spend our salaries as consumers. The fact that these people are not citizens does not give us the right to deprive them of their rights.
What I find equally offensive is the attempt to dress this proposal up the language of the hospitality industry. “Villas”? Perhaps we should rename our prisons while we are at this complete charade. Why not “Sungai Buloh Villa” and “Kajang Villa”?
Clearly the idea is to create what is called a cordon sanitaire, a buffer zone, between foreign workers and locals. The principal assumption of this plan is that the former bring with them unwanted influences. The common but flawed assumptions are that these people come with crime and disease.
What would the Malay Peninsula be if such a plan were implemented years ago? Perhaps as a grandchild of migrants, the idea of excluding people from participating fully in the fabric of our evolving society strikes at my very sense of being.
Some weeks ago, I walked into a Myanmar supermarket with a Burmese friend and he pointed out a CD on sale. It was of a literary event held in KL together with five well-known writers from Myanmar.
Surprised? So was I. The people of Myanmar who have brought their labour here for several decades, are now bringing their culture too. Let’s not put to an end to the open mingling of people.
● Sharaad Kuttan was born in JB, as was his mother. His father was born in Penang while his grandparents are from India.
No comments:
Post a Comment