⁍ Malaysian authorities said on Saturday they had arrested a Bangladeshi man who criticised the government’s treatment of migrant workers in a documentary by broadcaster Al Jazeera.
⁍ The July 3 documentary on Malaysia’s treatment of undocumented foreign workers during the COVID-19 pandemic sparked a backlash in the Southeast Asia nation.
⁍ Rights groups have accused the government of suppressing media freedom after Al Jazeera journalists were called in for questioning by the police.
– A Bangladeshi man who spoke out against Malaysia’s treatment of undocumented foreign workers in an Al Jazeera documentary has been arrested and will be deported “and blacklisted from entering Malaysia forever,” says the country’s immigration director. Mohammad Rayhan Kabir, who was interviewed in the documentary, “will be deported and blacklisted from entering Malaysia forever,” Khairul Dzaimee Daud tells Reuters. Al Jazeera says it’s disturbing that Rayhan had been arrested “for choosing to speak up about some of the experiences of the voiceless and the vulnerable.” The July 3 documentary focused on the arrests of hundreds of undocumented workers during the spread of the new coronavirus. Human rights activists have condemned the arrests as inhumane. Malaysian officials have said they were necessary to prevent the spread of the virus. Public opposition to migrant workers has been growing, with some accusing them of spreading the coronavirus and being a burden on government resources. Activists have voiced concern that the four-month old administration of Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin is stifling dissent amid a series of clampdowns, an accusation it has denied. Al Jazeera has said its staff and those interviewed in the documentary had faced abuse, death threats, and the disclosure of their personal details on social media.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-malaysia-migrants/malaysia-arrests-bangladeshi-worker-critical-of-its-treatment-of-migrants-idUSKCN24Q09T