Looks like ’tis the season to merrily beat foreigners to a pulp.
In the last three weeks, we’ve heard of three cases of Malaysians assaulting immigrant workers. All of these instances of violence happened in the Klang Valley and all are related to allegations of sexual assault. And these are only cases that have been publicised. Dare we assume that we’re seeing only the tip of the iceberg? What about elsewhere in Malaysia?
In the first of the three cases, Wan Muhammad Azri Deris, better known as Papagomo, was captured on video punching, slapping, and kicking a man said to be a Pakistani who had allegedly molested his sister. Then, early this week, a Nepali was beaten up by a busker after he allegedly fondled his wife. There were photographs of the allegedly drunk foreigner lying on the ground after the beating, bloodied. On Friday, yet another video surfaced of a Bangladeshi worker beaten to a pulp in Wangsa Maju, after he allegedly raped a girl of 12.
The Wangsa Maju incident happened on Thursday night. The rape allegedly happened in the toilet of a cyber cafe. News reports said the foreigner was beaten by the girl’s father, who had caught him in the act. Photographs and videos of the incident, currently being circulated on social media, shows the foreigner standing with blood streaming down his head, drenching his shirt and trousers.
Why are we seeing this sudden surge of violence against foreigners? Why have Malaysians become overnight vigilantes? Does this show a general resentment against foreign workers because “they’ve come here to steal our livelihood?”
Assuming that the battered foreigners did commit the crimes they were accused of, why not just hand them to the police instead of taking the law into one’s own hands? What if they were not guilty? What if they were victims of mistaken identity?
Are Malaysians taking the law into their hands because they have lost faith in the police? Papagomo, in admitting that he did commit assault, said he did not call the police because he was afraid the alleged molester might walk free.
Worryingly, he had many fans on social media commending him for his action.
Some say critics of such acts can preach all they want, but anyone could lose all sense of judgement and righteousness when one of his loved ones becomes a victim.
Are we going to see more instances of foreigner bashing, especially when more of them may be flooding the country soon?