PUTRAJAYA: Putrajaya has demanded that Al-Jazeera to apologise to Malaysians for producing a documentary alleging racism and unequal treatment towards illegal immigrants in its course to fight Covid-19.
Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the 25-minute documentary, titled 'Locked Up In Malaysia's Lockdown', was filmed to paint Malaysia in a bad light and devoid of the high standards of journalism ethics expected of an international news outlet.
The Senior Defence Minister, who had watched the show uploaded on July 3, rubbished allegations of racism and unfair treatment towards undocumented foreigners who were said to be arrested and confined while living in areas placed under the Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO).
He said it was untrue that Malaysia practiced racism as the Immigration Department had used its laws to arrest immigrants who possessed invalid documents or with no documents at all.
"We give equal treatment to legal and illegal foreigners. Detainees at Immigration Detention Centres are screened for Covid-19 to ensure their health.
"Those who are tested positive for the virus are brought to the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park (MAEPS) in Serdang to get treated. Malaysia bears the cost for this.
"We do not just cast them aside when they are infected nor let them die. They are treated until they are allowed to return to the centre.
"Even if they are tested negative that does not mean we can let them move around freely because they are still illegals.
"They cannot be going around like those who have documents to go to work and go on their routine. What we did was based on the law," said Ismail Sabri during a live telecast press conference.
He said 4,924 illegal foreigners at four centres were screened, of which 777 were found positive and treated at MAEPS.
A total of 68,829 legal foreign construction workers in the Federal Territory and Selangor were also screened and 2,579 were infected and given treatment.
Ismail Sabri also stressed that children that were being sent to detention centres were not handcuffed as reported by Al-Jazeera.
Instead children were placed at a special area together with their parents at the detention centres and did not mix with other detainees, he said.
He also challenged Al-Jazeera to reveal a country which gives absolute freedom to illegal immigrants to move about without action being taken against them.
"We ask Al-Jazeera to name us any country in the world that permits immigrants without travel document or invalid documents to go around as they wish. As far as I know, there are none. But maybe Al-Jazeera has that list so please do (tell us).
"All foreigners entering a country must have valid travel documents. If it is has expired, they must leave if not they risk action. This applies to any country in the world, including where Al-Jazeera (bureaus) are based," he added.
He also shot down allegations that illegal foreigners were unfairly confined at Selangor Mansion, which was put on EMCO, in early April.
Under the EMCO, he explained that illegal, legal foreigners and Malaysians, were barred from leaving the area which were surrounded by barbed wires in a bid to contain the Covid-19 outbreak.
He said the issue of unfair confinement of illegal foreigners does not arise as the Standard Operating Procedures applied to all residents in that area, including Malaysians.
Even Malaysians in other EMCO areas such as Maahad Tahfiz An-Nabawiyyah in Hulu Langat (Sungai Lui) were put under the lockdown.
"What was reported were blatant lies. I believe this reporter does not have ethics in reporting as featured in the document. I believe Al-Jazeera do not want to know about the true facts either.
"It has ill intentions towards Malaysia so they report falsely, accusing us of racism and more.
"However, I am thankful to all Malaysians, regardless of religion and race, who have given support to government's actions (in combating Covid-19).
"They have
even shown their objections to the documentary that Al-Jazeera had to disable the comments section as 100 per cent of viewer were in disagreement.
"I hope Al-Jazeera as an international media will show high journalism ethics and hope that they stop doing this. If possible, please apologise to Malaysians," said Ismail Sabri.