Our Duty To Treat Refugees Better

By Natalie Shobana Ambrose

theSun, Malaysia (page 14)

June 30th, 2011

"If anyone comes here, they risk being sent to Malaysia and go to the back of the queue,"
"For every refugee we send there we will take five.
"You spend your money, you get on a boat, you risk your life and you don’t get to stay,"
"You go to Malaysia."

-Julia Gillard, Prime Minister of Australia

I’m not sure about you but when I heard these statements on television, I had chills up my spine. So this is what the Australian government thinks of us? Perhaps rightly so, but who came up with the idea of swapping people anyway?

Pertinent questions arise on why these people would give thugs their savings, leave behind everything and everyone they know, risk their lives on stormy seas in rickety boats, and not to mention being packed like sardines. It’s not one decision that makes them place themselves in that situation; but a series of decisions. Surely one has to wonder how much worse the situation is back home for them to put their lives in such grave danger. Many do not make the journey, and how many reports have there been of capsized boats?

I can only assume it to be as horrible as the escape story from the book Half the Sky, of a young girl smuggled into Malaysia on the pretext of finding her decent work only to be sold into prostitution and housed in crammed spaces in the heart of KL. The situation was so bad that she and a friend used a makeshift clothes hanger, put it over the balcony of two blocks of flats and “tight-rope” walked their escape. At that point, she felt that falling and dying would have been a better option than staying in such a place. Mind you, this is a true story and the only consolation is that it happened years ago before KL was “cleaned-up” and the girl escaped.

That is the kind of wretchedness these people face. What type of desperation do they face each day in detention camps? As Malaysia is not a signatory of the United Nations conventions on refugees and against torture, asylum seekers are not legally recognised and cannot seek employment. There is also no structure for these undocumented people to obtain redress when treated irregularly. The only body in the country that can offer assistance is the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees which recognises refugees.

There were 93,000 registered refugees in Malaysia, and the assumed number of refugees not registered is double that. What irks most people is the fact that  Malaysia has a poor human rights record. It’s not new news, it’s a fact, but nothing more can be done until the authorities fully accept and fulfill their responsibility.

Imagine being subject to harassment by those in authority, risking beatings and living in overcrowded conditions. When there is little food and no money, what can be traded for a bowl of rice every day? These camps don’t just house men; they are home to women and children – children who should be in school.

There are many sides to this debate; it’s not just about empathy but also how well refugees naturalise, the cost of providing them housing, education and work, and what kind of refugees they are? A burden on government spending for sure, but there has to be a humane solution and what we have to offer is far from that.

The reality, however, is we are getting a bad name overseas because of how we tackle the refugee issue. All the economic growth and conventions overseas showcasing Malaysia’s abilities are tainted with reports of the conditions refugees in our country are subject to. Something civilized needs to be done and done fast.  Refugees can’t be told “please go back to where you came from” or risk ending up in Malaysia.

Natalie believes that swapping refugees is a terrible idea and that whoever came up with it should be ashamed.

Comments: letters@thesundaily.com

Good Thing We Are A Democracy

By Natalie Shobana Ambrose
The Malaysian Insider (TMI)
June 29th, 2011

In some countries, people get put in jail for speaking up against injustices. They then get left there for years and are sometimes forgotten. Good thing this doesn’t happen in Malaysia, especially since we’re a democracy.

In some countries, the media constantly practices self-censorship to avoid being shut down. Still they are regularly cautioned to ‘behave appropriately’ in accordance to government propaganda when unbiased reporting is what the media is trying to provide. Good thing this doesn’t happen in Malaysia, especially since we’re a democracy.

In some countries, citizens are told what to believe. Their religion has to be the religion of the state, if not bad things happen to them. So they hide and practice their faith in secrecy. All they want is their basic human right to religious freedom. Good thing this doesn’t happen in Malaysia, especially since we’re a democracy.

In some countries, there is no such thing as equality. Some tribes are considered better than others and more deserving because of the race they were born in to. So the others get oppressed and are not given the same opportunities, education benefits, housing benefits, investment benefits, and the list goes on. Institutionalised racism is condoned and part of the government system. Good thing this doesn’t happen in Malaysia, especially since we’re a democracy.

In some countries, the judicial system is rigged. The blindfold of justice has been removed and there is little separation of powers between the Legislature, the Executive and the Judiciary. Too much meddling and a lack of neutrality in the courts allowing for the privileged, influential and titled to influence decisions on who sits on the bench and the outcome of cases. Good thing this doesn’t happen in Malaysia, especially since we’re a democracy.

In some countries, fear and intimidation are the modus operandi. People are not allowed to legitimately express their concerns. Water bombs and tear gas are used to stop rallies and protest marches even if they are peaceful. Good thing this doesn’t happen in Malaysia, especially since we’re a democracy.

In some countries, ballot boxes go missing, voter registration is inaccurate, phantom voters get a ballot paper and there is no such thing as a secret ballot. Good thing this doesn’t happen in Malaysia, especially since we’re a democracy.

In some countries, the leaders squander the wealth of the country and believe in a system of ‘one for you, five for me’ making them instant multi-billionaires with property peppered all over the world and businesses ventures for each of their children. The immense wealth accumulated while in power and wasted while in power could have benefited the country and made it more prosperous than it is. Good thing this doesn’t happen in Malaysia, especially since we’re a democracy.

In some countries, many promises are made before an election and forgotten once the seat is won. So during the few days of campaigning, the people living in that area without basic necessities for many years suddenly find themselves between a rock and a hard place – vote for the people who put you there and get all the basic benefits they should have given you years before or not vote for them and continue living they way they made you live all these years. Votes are exchanged for basic necessities like running water, roads and access to electricity. Good thing this doesn't happen in Malaysia, especially since we’re a democracy.

In some countries the people in uniforms are thugs in masquerade. Their guns are not to pre-empt crime but to cause one. Once they don on a uniform, they automatically get immunity from the crimes they commit all in the name of protecting the security of the country. So much so the people know that if uniformed personnel ask for something, it’s best to comply – even if it’s a naked squat. The power of the uniform outweighs any logical, legal reasoning. Good thing this doesn't happen in Malaysia, especially since we’re a democracy.

In some countries, certain people can incite racial and religious hatred with little reprimand while those with legitimate concern for the state of affairs get chastised. Good thing this doesn't happen in Malaysia, especially since we’re a democracy.

In some countries the will of the people is not the basis of the authority of the elected government. The protection of human rights and the fundamental freedoms of all are just rhetoric and not a reality. Good thing this does not happen in Malaysia, especially since we are a democracy.

Natalie believes in the freedom of being a pedestrian, wearing yellow and writing poems.


*The is the personal opinion of the writer or publication. 
The Malaysian Insider does not endorse the view unless specified. 

Cheating Spouses: Who's to Blame? (Lipstick On Your Collar)

By Natalie Shobana Ambrose
theSun, Malaysia (page 14)
June 16th, 2011

The sign on the back of the Malaysian taxi advertised a local website: “Catch A Cheating Spouse”. At first it was amusing. Clearly there was a growing need for this service, seeing as how some people were making enough money for their services to be advertised behind a taxi – and I’m guessing not just one taxi. Then it struck a chord, having known of quite a few people who have been subjected to a cheating other half and the deep pain of betrayal that comes with it. In recent times, there have been many stories of infidelity. A slew of famous wives have unwillingly become part of a growing club of cheating influential husbands. So who’s to blame? If I were to use the logic of a local wives club, the fairer sex in the relationship would be blamed for not fulfilling her duties as a chef in the kitchen, a maid in the living room and a “first-class prostitute” in the bedroom, to quote the leader of this club. If anything, this logic proves that women are their own worst enemies.

This form of misplaced blame feeds into a culture of fear surrounding marriage. On one hand, we so easily get caught up in a fairytale wedding like that of the recent royal nuptials (though both Kate and Diana omitted the word obey from their wedding vows, the former’s decision was met with praise while the latter’s caused disdain). Yet at the same time, we know that wedding rings can easily be removed, so some now tattoo their rings so as to imply that ink on skin carries more weight than ink on a legal document, forgetting that a promise is far more than legal paperwork.

While others might not believe in getting married, saying “why change what we have?”, the reality is that most people know the pain of a lipstick-stained collar and how easy it is to be a cheating heart. Though infidelity is not restricted to men, they are the more common perpetrator. It takes a lot to protect a relationship and be faithful especially when temptation is rife.

From being amused at the advertisement at the back of the taxi to it being a sad reminder of the level of integrity we have especially in our personal relationships. We seem to laugh thinking that infidelity is rampant in Hollywood and the western world but not in our Asian societies, but surely it is, if not the Obedient Wives Club would not have been formed. Perhaps the attention stemmed from the audacity and misguided implication that women are to be blamed for their husbands straying. The ugly truth is though, at the end of the day, if a person wants to cheat – nothing is going to stop them. Blame shifting and citing the spouse as a reason for infidelity is a coward’s approach.

Relationships today come with different challenges. The role of men and women is constantly evolving. In the past, women generally stayed at home, but today many work and don’t cook or clean or even know how to change a nappy. Are these signs of a disobedient wife? What about men who are stay-at-home dads? Traditional roles are being challenged and we have to change with the times.

I would like to think a good marriage includes mutual respect, not a laundry list of what a spouse can, cannot or should do. We all have things we can’t stand doing. I love to cook but I seem to be allergic to washing up. It doesn’t mean I won’t do it, it just means that I’d be happy if someone else did it. Perhaps this may be interpreted as a lack of submission or that I do not know my place. I say wake up!

The world has changed. Marriage shouldn’t make maids out of wives and errand boys out of husbands. Life on its own is hard enough and marriage has to enhance an already good life, not make it any more miserable. But that doesn’t mean we quit when it gets tough. In order for any relationship to flourish and sustain, there needs to be balance, mutual respect, trust, validation, and there has to be integrity – all of which require immense daily hard work from both partners. Perhaps that’s too tall an order to place on anyone in today’s society and that in itself is heartbreaking. One thing’s for sure though – if you marry a person who cheats, then you marry someone who will cheat on you and no number of prostitution classes can change that!

Natalie believes that it’s not only important to find the right mate but for each mate to be right for the other.

Comments: letters@thesundaily.com

** Note:

This article has been heavily edited and does not accurately reflect the original work submitted.

Apathy Or Lack Of Information?

By Natalie Shobana Ambrose
theSun, Malaysia (page 14)
June 1st, 2011
http://www.thesundaily.my/news/57485

Everyone is a chef these days. Thanks to the multiple cooking shows and celebrity chefs, our general culinary skills have improved in some senses. A few years ago in Malaysia there weren’t many aspiring chefs; however with the airing of these programmes on Malaysian television, we aren’t shy to showcase our newfound talent. Previously, one would be hard-pressed to tick all the ingredients off one’s shopping list because we weren’t exposed to the variety of global foods.

What has changed in the past few years, however, is the availability of the different ingredients in supermarkets instead of having to find a suitable substitute. It wasn’t that there was no such thing as buttermilk or pecorino cheese –there just wasn’t a demand because we either didn’t know these ingredients existed, or if we did, we didn’t use them in our cooking.

Our lack of exposure and in some senses lack of interest was seen as a form of apathy and economically not fruitful. Therefore, there was little demand for these "exotic" ingredients due to our so- called indifference – though one has to wonder if it is really apathy, or the lack of information available which is the problem. If information is power, then the people who have information are powerful. What is deemed apathy is really the lack of information not just in terms of access but also in quality. Many times there are obstacles that stand in the way of quality information being disseminated to the masses which causes frustration and after a while, we don’t even bother trying to get the information. One has to wonder if the withholding of information is intentional or purely coincidental.

Community activist Dave Meslin explained it plainly using the example of a food review. If you were to look at a food review, all the information needed would be readily available in a separate text box. However, when it comes to more complex issues such as selecting local councillors, there is little information available. The same goes for scholarship application processes and selection criteria. This lack of information is frustrating and makes one wonder if those with the information really want people involved, really want people to apply or only a chosen few are given the information needed to apply.

If we are serious about transformation, being transparent about processes, elite group applications, selection committees and tenders, or even more trivial concerns like who is in charge of repairing potholes needs to be addressed to avoid a state of indifference so easily confused with apathy, when the real problem is the lack of information and available information.

The lack of information for those who have some information can cause a lot of misinformation to spread, breeding unnecessary speculation. That is why it is important to be transparent, to actually be of the mindset that people do care and are interested in knowing.

When there is a tariff hike or a subsidy cut, what is needed is clear and precise facts, not a sway of conflicting information which breeds cynicism. A tariff hike in any part of the world is not welcomed. However, people need information to back up the validity of the price hike. No one willingly parts with their money without first investigating the facts. Without balanced information, transparency of contracts and the allowance of competition, the people are forced to become mere spectators not only of what happens to the country but also their pockets.

In the Malaysian context there is a great void in the availability and access to basic public information. When a tariff is increased or a subsidy reduced, inflation automatically sets in. The reality is, when there is price hike of 20 sen for 1kg of sugar, the price of a teh tarik disproportionately increases by 20 sen even though logically it shouldn’t. So to the average person, a tariff hike  does not just cause the belt to tighten; it also directly affects the price of other goods.

So the question remains, do we want people to be engaged in what happens in the country? If the answer is yes, then we need to dismantle the obstacles and provide clear and precise information.

Natalie understands the need for subsidy reduction. However the contradiction of wastage of public funds and the level of corruption needs to be addressed concretely and simultaneously.

Comments: letters@thesundaily.com