Imported trouble for Malaysia

Just weeks ago, Sadek said he did not have any known enemies here. “They were once my friends, but not anymore. We used to work together on political issues but now we are divided because we follow different religions,” said Sadek, who is back to staying put at home.

Seven clashes were reported involving Myanmar nationals in the Klang Valley between May 30 and June 4. Two people have died and two others are in a critical condition. The police now have to hunt down the murderers and bring them to justice immediately.

But what is really going on among Myanmar nationals in Malaysia? Are we sitting on an explosive powder keg, or are these just isolated incidents that are being blown out of proportion?

Malaysia has to take such incidents seriously because we could be caught in the crossfire. Mindful that sectarian violence could touch a nerve with the local community, the police have been quick to clamp down on further incidents by rounding up 1,000 Myanmar nationals.

There are an estimated 400,000 Myanmar nationals in the country – legal, illegal and refugees. Many of them work in restaurants and at construction sites. Large-scale clashes between them could spell a lot of trouble for Malaysia. There could even be Malaysians who could be mistaken for Myanmar nationals and attacked.

The violence has been linked to clashes in Myanmar between Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims in the western state of Rakhine. Thousands of people, mostly Rohingyas, have been displaced by the clashes, with entire Muslim neighbourhoods reportedly razed.

The clashes first started in June last year, with further violent outbreaks occurring last October and in March this year.

The alleged conflicts in Malaysia are believed to have started at the Selayang wholesale market, which is known to have many Myanmar nationals. There have been reports of fights among them, although not necessarily linked to religion.

With their large population at the market, whatever they do is bound to affect local workers who are also eking out a living.

Since its independence from Britain in 1947, the country has frequently seen sectarian clashes between the majority and minority groups such as the Karen, Shan and Chin. Myanmar is a predominantly Buddhist country, but about 5 per cent, or about 3 million of its 60 million people, are Muslims.

“The Myanmar government is committing genocide against the Rohingyas,” claimed Sadek.

His counterpart, Tun Tun, of the Burma Campaign Malaysia, said Myanmar nationals generally wanted peace and they should work together to ensure tensions in their home country are not allowed to infringe on the harmony they have found in the safe haven of Malaysia.

“We are happy people. We have been living and working peacefully together all this while,” he said. “We are foreigners and must follow Malaysian law,” he added.