Read on Twitter
Okay, since I have nothing better to do, here's a thread that examines the points made in this video by ol' Mamat Mayonis here. https://twitter.com/bernamatv/status/1283231832721375232
1. Taking Videos of Security Areas
The main argument here is that you can't take videos & photos of police and military personnel and cites White House security as an example.
No, you can do that. Unless you're taking obscene pictures/videos, it's within your right to do so
The main argument here is that you can't take videos & photos of police and military personnel and cites White House security as an example.
No, you can do that. Unless you're taking obscene pictures/videos, it's within your right to do so
And yes, that includes the police. You can be arrested for obstructing a civil servant from carrying out their duties but this doesn't apply here. The police officer isn't be stopped or obstructed in any way
The Enhanced MCO these "Security Areas" are placed under are subject to the same laws that promulgated the original MCO, the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 and Police Act 1967
Plus, if you actually watched the documentary, you can see that he's trying to get witness testimony from migrant workers living there
The segment discussed here is 2:15-2:59
The segment discussed here is 2:15-2:59
The former relates to the prevention and containment of infectious diseases while the latter is on the powers and responsibilities of the police. Neither of them prohibit documenting inside quarantine areas by the media
2. Wanting to Visit High Risk Areas
The main point here is that Drew Ambrose "complained" that he couldn't enter areas placed under Enhanced MCO
He isn't complaining. He's simply stating a fact, leading to the doc. showing phone footage from residents of the area (1:57-2:14)
The main point here is that Drew Ambrose "complained" that he couldn't enter areas placed under Enhanced MCO
He isn't complaining. He's simply stating a fact, leading to the doc. showing phone footage from residents of the area (1:57-2:14)
It was essentially stating “We couldn't go in to get footage of what happened so here's some phone footage taken by local residents to show you what happened here”
You'd have to be REALLY stretching it beyond reason to call it a "complaint”
You'd have to be REALLY stretching it beyond reason to call it a "complaint”
3. Blocking Comments
They're well within their rights to block the comments to their video. We have seen the absolute hailstorm of xenophobic and ultra-nationalistic comments that have sprung up as a result of this documentary.
They're well within their rights to block the comments to their video. We have seen the absolute hailstorm of xenophobic and ultra-nationalistic comments that have sprung up as a result of this documentary.
"You need to always allow comments"? No you don't. What an absurd statement. You have right to speech but not to a platform. You can criticise the documentary elsewhere just as in the video I'm responding to now
4. Complaining that the Government Never Responded
The main point here is that the government is busy, too busy, with containing the COVID-19 pandemic that they cannot entertain questions/interviews from journalists
No, it's because the government wants to ignore critical media
The main point here is that the government is busy, too busy, with containing the COVID-19 pandemic that they cannot entertain questions/interviews from journalists
No, it's because the government wants to ignore critical media
Anyone who even vaguely remembers the BN government knows that this is right out of the BN playbook. Suppress the domestic media and ignore the international media when they become too critical. We remember when 2 ABC journalists were detained & deported for questioning PM Najib
5. Forgetting How Racism Works
This is really bizarre. The main argument is that the Malaysian government isn't racist because they were targeting people based on their country of origin and not their race.
He's right. It's not racism. It's xenophobia.
This is really bizarre. The main argument is that the Malaysian government isn't racist because they were targeting people based on their country of origin and not their race.
He's right. It's not racism. It's xenophobia.
Calling it an “illegal immigration issue" obfuscates the matter and pins the blame on powerless, exploited migrant workers rather than those who profit from their blood, sweat and toil and those in power
Also, if you don't think Indian Malaysians have any complaints about the Malaysian government, especially this ultra-nationalist government that has leaned heavily on ethno-nationalist and reactionary politics, boy do I have a bridge at Pasir Gudang to sell you.
6. Ignoring Countries That Are Extremely Racist Towards Their Migrant Workers
Wait, if there are places that are racist towards migrant workers does this mean that their mistreatment at the hands of the Malaysian government could also be called racism?
Wait, if there are places that are racist towards migrant workers does this mean that their mistreatment at the hands of the Malaysian government could also be called racism?
What really gets my grit is the idea that migrant workers in Malaysia are "treated better than almost any part of the world”.
Malaysia is well known for the horrible treatment migrant workers are subjected to and multiple reports have documented this
Malaysia is well known for the horrible treatment migrant workers are subjected to and multiple reports have documented this
Migrant workers are often lied to about jobs that don't exist and are brought here to work for long hours in brutal conditions on a starvation wage.
Their passport is taken from them so they can't leave and they have repay huge debts for coming here
Their passport is taken from them so they can't leave and they have repay huge debts for coming here
On top of that, they can't organise to demand better conditions and their employers often either refuse to renew their permits, bring them in on a tourist or calling visa or just smuggle them in via syndicates that have powerful backers and benefactors
8. Treating Illegal Migrant Workers Like They're All Victims
I've already addressed the status of undocumented migrant workers but suffice it to say, leave it to a clueless white dude to think undocumented = criminal
I've already addressed the status of undocumented migrant workers but suffice it to say, leave it to a clueless white dude to think undocumented = criminal
Perhaps he should take his own advice to get off his high horse and look at reality. Most undocumented migrant workers are trapped in debt, work backbreaking hours and have no freedom of movement.
Do you really think they can just stroll out and get a visa? It's not that easy!
Do you really think they can just stroll out and get a visa? It's not that easy!
"Trapped: The Exploitation of Migrant Workers in Malaysia”
https://www.amnesty.org/download/Documents/36000/asa280022010en.pdf
https://www.amnesty.org/download/Documents/36000/asa280022010en.pdf
"Situation and gap analysis on Malaysian legislation, policies and programmes, and the ILO Forced Labour Convention and Protocol”
https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---asia/---ro-bangkok/documents/genericdocument/wcms_650658.pdf
https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---asia/---ro-bangkok/documents/genericdocument/wcms_650658.pdf
9. Saying Malaysians Don't Want Migrant Jobs
The main argument here is that there are jobs Malaysians want to do, like in the pasar borong but the migrant workers are "taking" the jobs away.
Again, it's not that easy.
The main argument here is that there are jobs Malaysians want to do, like in the pasar borong but the migrant workers are "taking" the jobs away.
Again, it's not that easy.
Most of these jobs are filled by migrant workers because of what I've discussed earlier vis a vis the exploitation, low wages, no protections and no recourse of action. Unscrupulous employers use migrant workers because they're treated as cheap and disposable
The video also brings up the 500 Malaysians who applied for the 60 or so jobs.
As he repeatedly says, there's a pandemic on and as a result, many people have lost their jobs. A lot of people are desperate for some income, any income. That's why they want this job.
As he repeatedly says, there's a pandemic on and as a result, many people have lost their jobs. A lot of people are desperate for some income, any income. That's why they want this job.
10. Never Saying Illegal Migrants Put Others At Risk
Again, this puts the main source of blame at the feet of poor, exploited migrants rather that say, the unscrupulous employers who wring them for every cent they're worth and every drop of sweat
Again, this puts the main source of blame at the feet of poor, exploited migrants rather that say, the unscrupulous employers who wring them for every cent they're worth and every drop of sweat
Remember, they didn't come in undocumented. They either came here with the proper work visas but were denied renewal by their employers, their employers brought them in on tourist or calling visas or a syndicate was involved. Again, don't blame the powerless!
11. Acting Like Sitting In Sun Is Horrible
This is just really petty and weird. "Be happy you were merely rounded up and detained by the authorities and that your parents aren't dead" isn't a gotcha. It calls out the inhumanity of the govt and of immigration authorities
This is just really petty and weird. "Be happy you were merely rounded up and detained by the authorities and that your parents aren't dead" isn't a gotcha. It calls out the inhumanity of the govt and of immigration authorities
And please, by all means, if you don't think being handcuffed and sitting on the asphalt in the tropical heat for hours on end isn't all that, I invite you to do so
12. Forgetting Everyone is Going Through Hard Times
This is another purposeful misreading of the documentary. It doesn't say that only migrant workers are having it rough. We are well aware that the economy is in tatters right now and the sacrifices that we must make
This is another purposeful misreading of the documentary. It doesn't say that only migrant workers are having it rough. We are well aware that the economy is in tatters right now and the sacrifices that we must make
But! This documentary was made to highlight a specific issue, which was the mistreatment of migrant workers in Malaysia. If you want to learn more about poverty in general, inequality, systematic racism and the host of other issues that affect the country, you can do so!
Covid 19 is hitting everyone hard but some people are being hit harder than others right now. Marginalised and oppressed people are facing the brunt of this pandemic and that includes undocumented workers for the reasons I just gave
13. Being Very Misleading
Imagine comparing a kid getting handcuffed by the authorities to a dentist visit and saying that handcuffing and mistreating kids isn't great is “living in a fairytale land”
I really have nothing else to add but Holy. Shit.
Imagine comparing a kid getting handcuffed by the authorities to a dentist visit and saying that handcuffing and mistreating kids isn't great is “living in a fairytale land”
I really have nothing else to add but Holy. Shit.
Another complaint here is that “Oh you framed the story! You interviewed a mother with a child in the end to elicit sympathy!”
When throughout the documentary, if you’ve watched it, they interview multiple different people and even states that they were looking for testimony
When throughout the documentary, if you’ve watched it, they interview multiple different people and even states that they were looking for testimony
This also repeats the oft-repeated claim that undocumented immigrants get "free care, free food, free clothing, free toiletries and everything was provided to them”
They're in a concentration camp. They're in detention. They can't get those things unless it's being provided
They're in a concentration camp. They're in detention. They can't get those things unless it's being provided
This is like saying “Prisoners have it so good because they get free orange jumpsuits, free care, free food and free toiletries!”. It shows a stunning amount of ignorance and malice towards an already exploited group of people
14. Mixing Up Illegal and Legal Migrant Workers
The main claim here is that the documentary does not differentiate undocumented migrant workers and "legal" migrant workers.
The main claim here is that the documentary does not differentiate undocumented migrant workers and "legal" migrant workers.
Again, the factors and reasons why and how migrant workers become undocumented have been discussed at length so I won't reiterate the same points.
“Anti illegal immigration" has nearly always been a dogwhistle for "We don't want the dirty foreigns in our country”
“Anti illegal immigration" has nearly always been a dogwhistle for "We don't want the dirty foreigns in our country”
By the way, a person with a legal visa died in immigration detention and the numerous "mysterious" deaths of migrant workers in immigration detention centres is also well documented https://www.reuters.com/article/us-malaysia-detention-deaths/exclusive-more-than-100-die-in-malaysian-immigration-detention-camps-in-two-years-idUSKBN1710GR
15. Completely Not Understanding How You Fight Covid-19
He brings up the start of the documentary where it talks about "military-style lockdowns" and extrapolates that to mean that as a criticism of the MCO in general.
It isn’t.
This is a critique of the Enhanced MCO
He brings up the start of the documentary where it talks about "military-style lockdowns" and extrapolates that to mean that as a criticism of the MCO in general.
It isn’t.
This is a critique of the Enhanced MCO
The Enhanced MCO was placed in areas deemed to either have high concentrations of cases or are high risk. We've seen this in places where they were sealed off with barbed wire and army personnel. Did South Korea or Taiwan or China did this sort of lockdown?
16. Never Saying The Good Things About Malaysia
Firstly, lmao imagine hawking your own videos this hard
Second, it does actually touch on volunteers and NGOs who are helping migrant workers go through the crisis.
Firstly, lmao imagine hawking your own videos this hard
Second, it does actually touch on volunteers and NGOs who are helping migrant workers go through the crisis.
Again! This is a documentary specifically about the mistreatment of migrant workers in Malaysia during COVID-19 and how undocumented migrant workers are being detained and abused!
Overall, it was a pretty bad video that seeks to willfully misinform it's audience, purposefully misreads the documentary it's critiquing, demonstrates ignorance of the migrant worker situation and can be boiled down to “Illegal immigrants bad! Praise the Malaysian govt more!”
It probably took me way longer to find research material to respond to this than it took for him to make his video and I was writing a (Very long) twitter thread
In conclusion: He and people like him should just be referred to as “Mamat Mayonis" from now until the end of time.
Takde org M'sia yg blh buat balas dkt AJ? Adakah Bernama begitu terdesak sampai kena share video youtube omputeh ni hanya kerana dia puji kerajaan? Desperate sgt!
Takde org M'sia yg blh buat balas dkt AJ? Adakah Bernama begitu terdesak sampai kena share video youtube omputeh ni hanya kerana dia puji kerajaan? Desperate sgt!
