In an opinion piece carried by Asia Times, Jeremy Luedi said Africans in Malaysia faced racism and discrimination on a frequent basis.
Luedi, who is editor of Asia by Africa, a publication highlighting under-reported stories in the two continents, added that Malaysia’s “Malaysia, Truly Asia” image had been tarnished by the friction between locals and Africans.
He said anti-African sentiment was common in both social media and traditional media, citing a 2014 editorial in Malay daily Utusan Malaysia which had lamented the spate of negative stories involving Africans and questioned the feasibility of their successful integration into Malaysian society.
According to Luedi, such sentiments are in part due to locals’ concerns about issues such as crime, propriety and threats to Malaysian women.
“Specifically, cultural differences see many locals chafe at public drunkenness and general rowdiness. While Muslim Africans are more accustomed to these norms, complaints about suggestive clothing, solicitation and the harassment of women tar all Africans equally in the eyes of many Malaysians,” he said.
Luedi acknowledged the existence of legitimate concerns such as the emergence of online scams which were largely connected with Nigerians.
However, he dismissed other fears such as the phobia surrounding Africans, particularly those from West Africa, during the 2014 Ebola scare.
Although such fears were exaggerated and misplaced, he said, many Malaysians had avoided Africans and taken “precautionary” measures as they were seen as potential disease carriers.
Likewise, he urged caution over the association between Africans and drug smuggling, saying Africans were no more guilty than other ethnic groups like Asians and Caucasians.
“The heightened media focus which surrounds cases involving Africans creates a perception that there is a stronger correlation than actually exists,” he said.
Luedi also expressed regret over incidents such as the blanket ban on new African tenants imposed at a condominium in Bandar Sri Subang in 2013.
“A similar instance also occurred in the Klang Valley where ‘No Africans’ flyers were distributed in various condominium buildings.
“Surprisingly, the same condo in Subang has recently attempted another African ban four years after its 2013 effort, with all African tenants to vacate the building by Jan 7 this year,” he said.
Noting that Malaysia was now a favoured destination for international students and healthcare tourism, he said in 2011 alone, the country had invested US$19 billion in Africa, making Kuala Lumpur its largest partner.
Malaysia’s status as a modern Muslim country also gave it greater access to Muslim-majority African nations, he said, pointing to Malaysia’s role in the halal industry and the Islamic finance sector.
Some 25,467 Africans were granted student visas in 2012, and data from 2013 showed more than 79,000 Africans entering the country, he added.
But despite this, he said, Malaysia had failed to capitalise on its potential.
“Relations between Malaysia’s established ethnic groups are themselves not always harmonious, so a certain apprehension of the unknown directed at Malaysia’s newest demographic is expected.
“Nevertheless, the real problem is when this apprehension metastasises into prejudice,” he said.