As our Merdeka anniversary looms, it is with great sadness that we receive this news of the violence experienced by a refugee from Myanmar and his family in the hands of his Malaysian employer in Raub that has resulted in his murder.

We would like to draw attention to reports we received that if this case was not reported to the police by the representative from the Myanmar Ethnic Organization (MEO), the victim’s death would not have been reported as murder. The reason for this is that the victim’s family were not able to make a report at the police station for fear of arrest as they were, as of that time, undocumented.

This is not an isolated case. Crime like this has happened before and will continue to happen as refugees are constantly denied access to justice. Refugees are continuously in danger from growing xenophobia. The inaccessibility of justice due to the limitations undocumented people face will result in injustice like this to continue happening to refugees. We also received reports that out of the seven culprits remanded, the employer pulling the strings has yet to be arrested. This case highlights a stark class divide in Malaysia where the employer has not faced any legal consequences despite his subordinates’ arrest.

We are grateful that the police are still actively investigating the case. We hope that justice will be served to all the culprits involved in committing this murder and also for fair compensation for the family affected by this tragedy. 

Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) stands in solidarity with the victim’s family and refugees who have constantly been denied access to the authorities and legal system. PSM believes that all migrants, regardless of documentation status, deserve equal access to human rights. We will continue to fight for our government to one day recognize refugees so they can have equal access to their basic rights in our beautiful country, Malaysia, in the spirit of Merdeka. 

Audrey Chan
Pemuda Sosialis
Parti Sosialis Malaysia