Xenophobia in Malaysia explained

Xenophobia in Malaysia refers to the fear or dislike of individuals or cultural groups perceived as foreign, often closely associated with racism.[1] In Malaysia, xenophobia sentiments are frequently directed at foreign workers, particularly those from countries such as Bangladesh and Indonesia.[2] [3] There is also notable xenophobia towards individuals from neighbouring Singapore and Indonesia. Additionally, discrimination has been reported against people of African descent and those from East Malaysia. It is observed that xenophobic attitudes are more prevalent in Peninsular Malaysia (West Malaysia) than in East Malaysia.[4]

By states

Penang

In 2014, the Penang state government conducted a referendum that resulted in a ban on foreigners cooking local cuisines.[5] The law has been criticised by foreign nationals[6] and prominent local figures, including the well-known chef Redzuawan Ismail, who expressed opposition to the ruling.[7]

Johor

In Johor, there are frequent complaints regarding Singaporeans who cross the border to take advantage of Malaysia’s lower prices, which are due to the weaker Malaysian ringgit compared to the Singaporean dollar. Local residents often blame Singaporean visitors for driving up prices in Johor, particularly in Johor Bahru. Consequently, Singaporeans visiting Johor have occasionally been targeted by criminals, especially for offences such as motor vehicle theft and snatch theft, as Singaporean vehicles are easily identifiable by their distinct licence plates.[8]

See also

References

  1. Web site: August 2001 . International Migration, Racism, Discrimination and Xenophobia . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20190331201752/https://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/migration/taskforce/docs/wcar.pdf . 31 March 2019 . International Labour Office; International Organization for Migration; Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights . 2.
  2. Book: International Labour Organization . Public attitudes towards migrant workers in Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand . December 18, 2019 . 9789220314289 . 11 August 2024.
  3. Web site: Uproar over intake of Bangladeshi workers exposes rampant xenophobia in Malaysia . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042442/https://asiancorrespondent.com/2016/02/uproar-over-intake-of-bangladeshi-workers-exposes-xenophobia-in-malaysia/ . 1 December 2017 . 11 June 2017 . asiancorrespondent.com.
  4. Web site: NYT: Malaysia has xenophobia towards Africans . 11 June 2017.
  5. News: migration . 24 October 2014 . Penang to ban foreign cooks at hawker stalls in bid to safeguard food heritage . 11 June 2017 . The Straits Times.
  6. Web site: 28 October 2014 . Penang bans foreign cooks at hawker stalls - Poskod Malaysia . 11 June 2017.
  7. Web site: 2014-10-27 . Penang bans foreign cooks at hawker stalls . 11 June 2017 . ifonlysingaporeans.blogspot.my.
  8. Web site: Alkhatib . Shaffiq . 4 November 2016 . 'It was the longest 10 minutes of my life': Singaporean bashed and robbed on highway in Johor . 19 June 2022 . www.straitstimes.com . en.

Further reading

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Xenophobia in Malaysia".

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